


Crossing The Lines

by gakkaiwa



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Minor Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Park Chanyeol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:15:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 29,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25380739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gakkaiwa/pseuds/gakkaiwa
Summary: Two alphas, one omega, and a beta. The Parks and the Dos make a deal, and four hearts get tangled in between.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol, Do Kyungsoo | D.O/Kim Jongin | Kai
Comments: 6
Kudos: 31





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> a repost of my old discontinued fic on aff. old like... 2016 old, so excuse the seemingly outdated characterizations and uhhh everything else really. but i'll be continuing this so hopefully you can enjoy the ride! i tried to make it as kdrama like as possible just because i can really.

“Oh. My. God.”

In all his 185cm glory, Chanyeol glares at the brunette man on his bed from the door of the bathroom, towel slung around his shoulders. His naked upper body is mostly wet. “Shut up,” he grunts, bending down to take the tank top on the floor. He stares warily at the white color, but shrugs it on anyway, ignoring the way some red colored droplets already making its way to stain the clothing. He turns towards the bed again, still glaring. “This is all your fault.”

The man laughs gleefully, eyes turning into slits. “That looks amazing,” he says, complete with two thumbs up and a bright grin, but Chanyeol just stares at him, unimpressed. “Really! Do you really think I would lie to you?”

“Yes,” he replies warily, ignoring the man’s fake gasp and shoving his legs off from the bed. The man rolls off to the floor, still laughing loudly, and Chanyeol can feel his eye twitch. “Baekhyun, you better stop laughing now, or I swear to God—“

“Sorry, sorry, I’m stopping now,” Baekhyun giggles, wiping away the tears at the edge of his eyes. He fans his red face, biting at his lip to keep the giggle in, but he bursts into another loud cackle when they make eye contact. Chanyeol is about to deck his face, honestly. “Well, at least you did this after your dad gets out of the hospital. Wouldn’t want to, you know,” he gestures to Chanyeol’s hair, his lips twitching, “send him to another heart attack with that fire on your head.”

Chanyeol rolls his eyes, but he unconsciously lifts his hand to pull at the strand of his hair, bright and still wet and _so fucking red_. He’s already regretting his decisions, but that’s really not new when you’re associated with a certain someone. A certain someone who is currently still giggling at himself as he launches himself on the bed again, avoiding Chanyeol’s attempt to elbow him. “Get away from me,” he mutters, wincing at the red stain on his finger. It’s going to be a bitch to get out, he knows. He tries to remember the instructions on the bottle and if it says anything about when he can stop worrying about the red bleeding everywhere, but then Baekhyun plops himself on his lap, pushing a grunt out of him. Out of habit, Chanyeol puts his hands on Baekhyun’s slim waist, but it doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to throw Baekhyun out of the window for even suggesting this stupid color in the first place. Seriously, he should know better by now.

Baekhyun smiles brightly at him, clearly unbothered by Chanyeol’s sour expression. “You look really great,” he assures, and Chanyeol pauses at the tone. Ugh, not again. It’s the tone Baekhyun uses when he wants him to do something—heck, it’s the tone he used when he said ‘You know what you should do? You should dye your hair red. I’ll help you,’ all nonchalant while they accidentally passed the hair dye aisle at the supermarket not two hours ago, and look where they are now. Chanyeol should be pushing him away right now, but Baekhyun puts his hand against the side of Chanyeol’s neck, the other running through the taller man’s hair. His fingers are cool against Chanyeol’s skin and scalp, delicate and soft, and Chanyeol holds the urge to purr. Fuck. Baekhyun grins at him knowingly, pulling at the strands for a bit. “Trust me, Alpha. It really does fit you. I’m jealous.”

 _Alpha._ Chanyeol’s inside stirs, but he just tightens his grip. The twinkle in Baekhyun’s eyes should be alarming, but he just finds himself sighing. “I still hate you,” he says, not at all convincing, and Baekhyun laughs out loud.

“I know,” he grins. Chanyeol sighs again.

“I also still have that meeting with my dad tomorrow, so you better be there with me to explain this mess on my head.”

Baekhyun hums, still playing with his newly dyed red hair. “Aren’t I always there with you?”

Chanyeol heart twinges a little, but he continues, “And you still have to clean up the bathroom. It looks like I murdered someone in there, with all the red. Seriously, couldn’t you have picked a less obnoxious color?”

“But where’s the fun in that?” He pouts at Chanyeol’s words, his nose scrunching.

The alpha snorts. “Well, you can have fun tomorrow as you scrub down the bathtub.”

“Ugh, I forgot how ruthless you are,” Baekhyun complains. “Can’t you hire someone to do it? Aren’t you supposed to be super rich?”

Chanyeol can feel himself frowning at that. They have been around each other for years, and it’s only since they landed in Seoul that Baekhyun says stuffs like that about his financial situation. In London where they met, Chanyeol lives in an apartment near his campus, small and efficient, because he has refused it when his dad offered an actual house (mostly because he has no desire to clean up that big of a space). He spends quiet a lot of money compared to other foreign students, and he does buy Baekhyun a lot of things (to Baekhyun’s delight), but he has an actual saving that he has to watch, so he tries not to be too excessive.

The second they landed in Seoul, however, it all changed. Well, he deserves it, probably, with the fact that his dad sends two cars to pick him up, with a bunch of dudes in suits and in-ears as a “precaution”. Baekhyun has taken it with strides, only eyeing the “bodyguards” once or twice and not even attempting a small talk in their car ride to their apartment for the time they'll be in South Korea (courtesy of his dad, of course). The second their belongings were put away and the people were out of the door, however, he pounced on Chanyeol, yelling at him about how he’s either a mafia or a prince, asking him if he had to call Chanyeol ‘Your Highness’ now. Chanyeol just threw a pillow at him.

To be honest, even Chanyeol had kind of forgotten how influential his family is. Being in another country for ten years, the name Park means little—only a selection of elites know of his family, and even less knows about him personally. It felt normal to not talk about his family with people he knows there, including Baekhyun. In South Korea, it’s another story. The Park family is one of the few names who build and control the economy of the country; some of their lineage even hold high position in the government. Not only that, but his dad is one of the heads of the whole family. He used to have an actual image he had to protect, lest it ended up as a headline on some cheap magazines who care about young _chaebols_. Chanyeol has gone through that, looking at himself on the front covers in the media, and he doesn’t fancy going through it again. It’s partly the pressure and the scrutiny that pushes Chanyeol to study abroad and kind of lay low.

Super rich, though. “They’re not the one who told me to dye my hair red, so nope.”

Baekhyun sticks out his tongue. “Whatever, I’ll use your clothes to clean it up, see if I care.”

Chanyeol smiles at that, and he grins wider when Baekhyun yelps the second he sees the red staining his own hand. Payback feels so sweet.

* * *

It feels weird, Kyungsoo thinks, that the hallway of the house that he’s grown up in for the past twenty four years, a part of the place he calls home, now feels suffocating. He knows every part of this place with his heart, has way too many memories to recall as he walks down it, but now every step he takes feel like a punishment instead of comforting like it usually is. He wants to run back towards his room and locks himself up, wants to hide under his blanket like he’s ten again, but the low voices of his parents talking stop him. Sighing, he trudges through, taking a deep breath as he reaches the living room where he’s supposed to be five minutes ago.

His parents stop talking the second he opens the door, turning towards him with large eyes. Definitely runs in the family, he thinks warily, placing a smile on his face. “Father, mother,” he bows.

“Kyungsoo,” his mother sighs, sounding very relieved. Probably _is_ relieved. He tries not to think about the reasons, because he _knows_ why, and just focuses on the hand she’s holding out, gripping at it softly. It feels a bit rough, a proof of hard-work and perseverance, and Kyungsoo’s heart tugs at that. “Have you eaten, sweetheart?”

He nods. “Yeah, I’m good. Don’t worry about me, Mom.”

She smiles at that, pulling him into a side hug. “I will always worry about you, honey.”

He doesn’t know what to say to that, so he just holds her back.

As he does, Kyungsoo watches his father. Mr. Do is a tough man—even as a beta, he holds a certain kind of power that can intimidate people around him. It’s probably one of the main reasons he even gets to be a successful businessman, which is a primarily alpha field. He doesn’t take any beating and pushes through any limitation the society puts on him as a “second-class citizen”, and Kyungsoo is really proud of him. His father works hard to give an amazing life for his two children, and his mother, who is also a beta, helps him a lot. They’re a tight pair, his parents, and the moment he realizes how much work they had to do, it warms his heart to see them succeeded.

It’s also why it breaks his heart seeing them keeping their heads down in front of him.

“Kyungsoo,” his dad starts, and he doesn’t startle. Instead, he braces himself. He knows what’s coming, and it’s—“I just got back from the meeting with Mr. Park.”

Kyungsoo gulps. “Oh,” he tries. His throat is dry. “How—how’s Mr. Park doing? Is he well?”

His father nods. “He just got released from the hospital today, so he’s much better.”

“That’s good,” Kyungsoo smiles. He’s met Mr. Park a few times during some gatherings, as he is one of his father’s closest friends and business partner, and he genuinely likes the old man. The man is a lot looser than his uptight father, and Kyungsoo remembers his jokes and kindness fondly. It was a shock then when there’s a call that tells them that the poor old man had a heart attack and was admitted into the hospital. Especially since… He shakes his head. “I hope he can have a speedy recovery too, even out of the hospital.”

“Yeah,” his dad smiles. His parents have immediately gone back to Seoul a few days after the news drop to visit the family friend, leaving a few business meetings abroad. They’ve come and gone from the house quite a bit, barely sparing him a glance, and they’re at the hospital a lot, as told by the phone calls from his mother. Kyungsoo knows they’re worried, so he tries to focus on that good news, and not at the last phone call he got right before his parents come home. But then his father straightens up, and he looks up at Kyungsoo. The dread rushes back. “His son was there.”

Kyungsoo bites his lip. “I thought he was in America?”

“London," his father corrects him. "But no, his family told him to go back immediately and he arrived in Seoul two days ago. We talked for a bit before we went home.” His father looks carefully at him. “He’s a good guy.”

He just looks back at his father, nodding for a bit. “I’m sure he is.”

“Chanyeol is also a good alpha, Kyungsoo,” his father adds, and the urge to run back to his room comes back. “He’s strong and polite. He’s also very smart, and his father told us that he’s going to start working for the company, so he’s very capable.”

Chanyeol. Kyungsoo doesn’t know what to do with that information—for him, this ‘good alpha’ is just a vague memory of a tall guy he’s seen glimpses of in some events. But he can’t say that, so he just settles with, “I don’t doubt that. He’s a Park heir, I’m sure he’s amazing.” He can’t help the bitterness seeping into his words, and he wants to bite his tongue for even trying to talk back. He should have just bowed down and nodded, the way he’s expected to. Kyungsoo looks down, not daring to keep his eye-contact with his father anymore. Annoyingly, he can feel his eyes tearing up.

The room is quiet, and he knows his parents are looking at him, but he doesn’t look up. He just keeps his head down, playing with his own fingers. Time seems to slow down, and he tries to breathe slowly. And then his father sits forward, putting his hand on top of his own, pressing slightly. His touch is patient, and Kyungsoo doesn’t know what to do except to look at his father. He looks old and worn down, tiredness softening his roughness, and Kyungsoo blinks to keep his tears down. “You understand, don’t you, Kyungsoo?”

And what can he say to that? He plasters another soft smile, moving his palm so he can hold his father’s hand. “Of course, Father.”

His mother moves, giving him another hug. “He will treat you well. He's an amazing person, and a wonderful alpha, and you will be a good omega for him."

Her tone is soft, reassuring, and Kyungsoo wants to believe so, so badly, that he just says, “Yes, Mother.”

The room is quiet again, and this time, the family of three just holds each other in contemplative silence.

* * *

Jongin tries not to sigh for the umpteenth time at the traffic, and tries even harder not to curse at yet another car intercepting his car. His aunt’s suggestion to go slow is really grating at his nerve now, because every time he wants to honk, she just looks at him with a judging look and tells him to ‘be patient, what’s your rush, Kim Jongin?’. _Getting away from you would be one_ , he grumbles silently, turning the air conditioner in front of him higher.

His aunt sighs pointedly. He almost rolls his eyes at that. “Do you really have to turn the air that high, Jongin?”

“Leave him be,” his uncle intercepts. He’s grateful for that, because it’s about to get ugly, and he doesn’t feel like fighting his aunt. Again. “He’s the one driving, you would know how annoying a traffic is if you actually learn how to drive, Park Sangmi.” Jongin catches his uncle’s eyes on the rearview mirror, grinning at his wink. His uncle really is a life saver.

His aunt just huffs. “You give too much leeway to these youngsters.”

“It’s an air conditioner, it’s not like he’s going out into the traffic and running around naked,” his uncle says, his tone baffled, and Jongin tries not to laugh. He’s gone through such banter since he was little, and it’s always funny to see the siblings fight about the most mundane thing even when they’re old and grey. Their personalities clash a lot, his uncle aloof and his aunt really uptight (even about the most mundane things like car rides, where his uncle insists on his nephew driving him while his aunt keeps talking about image and prefers drivers and "bodyguards"), and it makes quite scene seeing these old people fight like they’re little kids.

“Anyway, as I was trying to ask,” his aunt says pointedly, probably glaring at her brother, and Jongin coughs to cover up his snort. “Jongin, you’re going to be there for next week, right?”

Jongin frowns at that. “Next week?”

“The meeting with the Do,” his aunt tells him.

“Uh, sure, but I don’t see why I should be,” he shrugs, moving the car slightly forward. This traffic is killing him. “You only need Chanyeol and Uncle Sanghyun there, right?”

“She thinks you can help persuade Chanyeol agreeing to this whole thing,” his uncle tells him. Which is. What.

“Wait, what?” He turns to look incredulously at his aunt and uncle, making a face. “You mean you still haven’t told Chanyeol about it?”

His uncle raises his hand and points at his sister. “Ask her, not me. I wanted to tell him the moment we made the deal, but she keeps insisting Chanyeol would understand it better if we talk to him face to face. Which doesn’t explain why she didn’t tell him while I was dying on the hospital bed, so keep blaming her.”

“You weren’t dying, stop being dramatic,” she rolls eyes. “And I told you I didn’t have the time. Chanyeol was there with his beta friend, and I don’t want it to get awkward in front of a non-family members. And then when I wanted to talk to him before he left, I found him talking with the Do, so I didn’t have the chance. It’s just bad timing. That’s why we need you, Jongin. Why weren’t you in the hospital to meet him, anyway?”

Jongin freezes up a bit at that, coughing slightly. “Bad timing, like you said.”

“That’s why we need you at that meeting. Talk to him. You’re the closest person to that boy, if there’s anyone he’s going to listen to, it’s you.”

If he’s being honest with himself, he really doubts Chanyeol is going to listen to anyone. Not about this, anyway. And least of all from him. His mind flies to the many emails left unreplied in his inbox, getting rarer and rarer as time goes on, until it trickles to just one and two a year. And still not replied. Jongin feels the rock settles in his throat as he remembers what happened during the years his cousin was away, remembers what he himself did to get stuck in where he is now, and he thinks about what his aunt says. He blinks and keeps his face blank, just letting out a slight affirmative, before he lets his mind wander for the rest of the ride.

The closest person, huh?

He wonders.


	2. Episode 1

If not for the years of lessons and ingrained attitude training, Kyungsoo would have cursed for the umpteenth times. He bows politely at the security guard opening the door for him, and he has to force himself not to tap his foot impatiently as he waits for the elevator door to reach the basement floor where he is. “Come on,” he mutters under his breath, glancing at his watch again. He’s actually early; his whole family is, but his parents are already inside and when he told them to go first while he went to park the car, he didn’t expect a huge yet very full parking lot and for it to take a surprisingly long time. So sue him, Kyungsoo is a bit antsy about being in this huge building by himself.

The elevator makes a ding sound and the door opens, and he walks inside. He bows again at the security guard looking at him, sending him a small smile and praying the huge man isn’t going to tell the other guards that he’s a suspicious person or something. He moves towards the corner of the elevator out of habit, biting his lip slightly every time the elevator stops and a couple of people walk in. Barely anyone even spare him a glance, but a few people send him a look when they see that he’s pressed the button to the top floor. Kyungsoo tries not to grimace as he focuses on the tip of his shoes, ignoring the slight whisper he can hear every time the elevator stops and he’s still staying inside.

Eventually he’s standing alone, still slightly curled into the corner of the elevator, and he can’t help the sigh of relief he lets out.

But then the glowing number on top of the elevator door says 34, and Kyungsoo can feel himself pales again.

_You’re fine, Do Kyungsoo. Everything’s going to be alright._

The door slides open, and he takes a deep breath before he steps outside.

It looks so wide and open, but he guesses that’s kind of the point. Almost the entire floor is bare of any furniture or wall, wooden floor shining brightly as it reflects the light coming through from the glass windows covering the entire wall. Some of them are half covered with blinds, but he can see the entire city as a view. There’s a few sofas arranged to create some kind of space, probably to receive guests, and a coffee table in the middle of them. On the other side, a little bit further from the elevator, there’s a beautiful table with a young man sitting behind it, clicking away on his computer. Behind him are a few bookshelves covered with folders and thick pile of papers. A few potted plants are scattered here and there, giving the floor a slight green.

And then at the end of the whole floor, right at the opposite side of the elevator where he’s standing, there’s a room surrounded by glass walls, where his parents are already inside talking with Mr. Park and another woman their age. It looks like a meeting room, with a long and wide table, and they’re sitting at the head of it.

Oh no.

Kyungsoo calms himself down, but as he’s about to walk further, the man young man behind the table at the side is already walking towards him. “Do Kyungsoo?” Kyungsoo nods, not expecting the man to smile brightly at him. “I’m Kim Junmyeon, Mr. Park’s secretary. They have been expecting you.”

“I can see that,” Kyungsoo says, hoping the tremble in his voice is not too obvious.

Junmyeon, thankfully, doesn’t comment on it either way. “You can put your coat and belongings on the sofa there, with your parents’ belonging. I’ll be looking after it, so don’t worry. If you’re comfortable to take it with you, that’s okay too. There’s a small locker inside, I can give you the key if you want. And there’s a coat rack where you can hang it inside the meeting room.”

Kyungsoo shakes his head. “Ah, no, I’ll just put it there.”

The other man smiles at him. If Kyungsoo tries to guess, he’s probably a beta. It’s very rare that an omega gets to work in an important position, and being a CEO’s secretary is a job that a lot of people seek. That being said, most alphas are too proud to be a secretary. So, they’re usually a job taken by betas. He tries not to dwell on it, shaking his head slightly. Junmyeon smiles brighter at his small gesture, if it’s even possible. “Well, you can tell me if you need anything. As you can see, the meeting room is right there, you can just walk in. Your parents told me that you can take as much time you need, at least until everyone’s present.”

Kyungsoo perks up at that. “Oh, Chanyeol-ssi is not here yet?” He could’ve guessed by the fact that there are only the elders present, but he asks anyway.

“Ah, no, he’s—“

“Hyung, is he here yet?”

A low voice interrupts them, and Kyungsoo turns towards it and pauses. “Oh.”

The man in front of him is tall, his dark hair styled into a slight quiff. His skin is tanned, and under the fitting suit he can guess how toned his body is. He exudes the alpha aura, walking towards them with sure steps and confidence, and Kyungsoo can feel his heart in his throat. The alpha is… well, really good-looking, and he doesn’t know what to do with that information. He can almost feel his inner omega rejoicing at the sight of a supposedly capable alpha, but he tries to ignore it. He can’t stop the heat creeping up his cheeks though, to his annoyance.

Which must be visible, because the alpha turns towards him like he just realizes that there’s another person beside Junmyeon. He raises an eyebrow, his lips slightly parted in surprise, before his face turns into a slight amusement.

“Do Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo tries not to shiver at being addressed with the deep voice. “Uh, I. Yeah. Hello.”

They look at each other. Kyungsoo wants to squirm, or at least bow his head down because his training calls him to bow at an alpha’s presence, but there’s something about him that keeps his gaze still as they look into each other’s eyes. He doesn’t know if he should be bothered by it or not, but before he can decide, the alpha glances at Junmyeon and speaks again. “You should put away your stuffs. We can go to the meeting room now,” he tells Kyungsoo, before he waves a hand towards the secretary. “I got it, Hyung.”

Kyungsoo nods and tries not to stumble as he takes off his coat and puts down his bag. He throws small glances towards the alpha who’s talking to the secretary in low voices, giving him a thorough scan. So this is… Park Chanyeol? He’s not quite sure, but seeing as he told them that the meeting can start now that they’re both here, he assumes so. He doesn’t have clear memory about the alpha despite the fact that they kind of share a social circle, especially since he went abroad for years. He just remembers seeing a tall figure beside Mr. Park, polite smile and masculinity exuding from him. He sends the alpha another look. Close enough.

Kyungsoo doesn’t even realize that he’s staring, but suddenly the tall man turns and smirks. He’s standing alone now, as the secretary is back behind his table, messing with some papers in front of him. It’s just the two of them now, kind of. The omega’s cheeks warm as he feels himself blush.

“Do I have something on my face?” Chanyeol asks him with amusement in his tone.

“No,” he shakes his head quickly, wishing he doesn’t look as stupid as he feels. Oh God, this is embarrassing. “I, um. It’s just… I kind of remember you really vaguely from the events before? Before you go and study in London. So seeing you here now just… kind of surprised me, I guess. You’re different than those hazy memories.”

From the other side of the room, Junmyeon turns towards him with a weird expression. Chanyeol tilts his head. “London?”

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo answers hesitantly, a tint of question in the word. He _was_ in London, isn’t he? Or maybe it’s another country. What if it’s another country?! He panics slightly, but he keeps his composure. “Like I said, it’s a long time ago. I’m sorry, must be weird that I still remember some stuffs about you. I’m going to, uh, I’m going to stop now.”

He looks down and tidies up his stuffs, wishing for the floor to open up and swallow him. His ears feel hot, and he doesn’t even want to imagine how bright his face is. This is a disaster. This is going to ruin his parents’ deal, and he’s going to have to deal with the disappointment from them when they know that the Park heir rejects him because he keeps making a fool out of himself. Wonderful.

While Kyungsoo wallows in self-pity, imagining various scenarios in which he’s going to end up alone as an unmated omega, he hears a chuckle. He looks up out of instinct. Instead of yelling at him to get it together or laughing at his ramble, Chanyeol just looks… endeared? Hopefully it’s not his own eyes fooling him, but Chanyeol has a small smile on his face, not at all looking put off.

“You’re fine,” he says, a foreign expression twinkling in his eyes. “At least I hope it’s a good surprise?”

This is flirting. Isn’t it? Kyungsoo bites his lower lip and bows slightly, still looking up at the alpha through his lashes. “It’s… it’s definitely not a bad one.” There. That’s not too forward, right? Chanyeol smiles at him knowingly, and the omega feels a burst of giddiness. Maybe the deal won’t be so bad. They’re clearly compatible, and talking with the alpha feels… different. He doesn’t feel the weird ickiness he usually has when interacting with most alphas his age, and he takes it as a good thing.

It takes him a few minutes until his belongings are settled, and when he’s done Kyungsoo is about to walk towards the meeting room, but Chanyeol just stays around and looks at the view, smirking slightly. He frowns. “Aren’t you coming?”

The alpha raises an eyebrow at him. “Are you that eager to talk about marriage with me?”

Kyungsoo flushes. “That’s—I’m not—that’s not—“

Chanyeol grins. He looks boyish, much younger than he probably is, and Kyungsoo feels like he’s going to be in trouble. “I’m kidding. I have something I need to wait for first. In case there’s some misunderstanding inside. You should go in though, they’re waiting for you.”

“Alright,” the omega says simply, happy that he gets to escape. He throws one last look at the tall alpha, blushing when he throws him another smile.

* * *

Chanyeol stares at the flustered receptionist with a blank face, tapping his finger against the front desk. He can feel his eye twitching. “You can just call up my dad if you don’t believe me,” he tells her, watching her face turns even redder. Seriously. “Or I can call him myself.”

“Don’t be rude, she’s doing her job,” Baekhyun scolds from beside him, hitting at his arm. It doesn’t hurt, but Chanyeol makes a face anyway. “Take your time, it’s fine. We’re not in a hurry.”

“Aren’t we,” Chanyeol mutters, but he mimics zipping his mouth close at Baekhyun’s glare. It’s not his fault that this receptionist (probably new, because everyone else would already recognize him, red hair or not) is taking forever to contact whoever’s up there and tell them that Park Chanyeol, the actual heir of the company, is actually there to meet the Chairman. Her eyes have widened when she catches his bright hair color, and they have widened even more when he told him his name. Baekhyun’s cheerful confirmation that he is, indeed, that Chanyeol, hasn’t convinced her, and now they’re stuck here waiting for her to match his identity or whatever. He wasn’t paying attention.

The girl clears her throat. “It’s all procedure, I assure you,” she tells them, before she—finally—gives them two tags with the word ‘GUEST’ written on them.

Chanyeol opens his mouth to say something, but Baekhyun steps on his foot and the words turn into a small yell. The girl looks at him nervously, but Baekhyun pulls at his jacket and moves them towards the elevator, probably smiling brightly. “It’s fine, thank you very much!”

For a short guy, a beta compared to his alpha body even, Baekhyun is _strong_. He shoves at Chanyeol impatiently and presses at the up button, ignoring the taller’s wince completely as he keeps turning around to smile at the (still blushing) receptionist. Flirt. “That hurts,” Chanyeol grits, bending down to massage his throbbing toes.

Baekhyun rolls his eyes. “You’re a big baby. Also you were being rude, so serve you right.”

“I wasn’t rude, I just told her that she could have done her job faster.”

“You _were_ rude, and if you don’t shut up I’m going to hit you again.”

Chanyeol grumbles at that, but he keeps his mouth shut. The elevator opens and they step aside to let some people go out. When they’re finally standing inside Chanyeol presses the button to the highest floor, leaning against the metal wall of the elevator as the door closes. The boring elevator music fills the silence, along with Baekhyun’s humming, and he’s checking his phone when there’s a nudge beside him.

“What,” he says, not looking up. He’s not sulking, what are you talking about?

He should’ve known that not looking at Baekhyun won’t stop him from doing whatever he wants to do, because Baekhyun bends down and puts his head right in front of him, blocking Chanyeol’s view of the phone with a bright grin. “I can’t believe that receptionist had to check the company’s database to make sure you’re not a random delinquent pretending to be the Park heir,” he giggles. He makes a point by pulling at one of the loose red strand, curling it around his finger.

Chanyeol doesn’t want to, but he can’t help the slight pull at the edge of his lips. That receptionist’s face when he walks over was pretty funny. Her attempt to not offend him with her baffled expression was even more epic. He can’t show it just yet though, so he bats at Baekhyun’s fingers. “Whose fault do you think it was?”

“Mine,” Baekhyun says proudly. Chanyeol snorts as the other laughs with his whole body, hitting at his side repeatedly.

Baekhyun’s a menace, but at least he helps loosen the tension on Chanyeol’s shoulders. This time Chanyeol lets his grin grow, pulling Baekhyun closer and pressing his hand against the back of Baekhyun’s neck, and laughs at Baekhyun’s squeak as he gets tickled.

* * *

That... was definitely interesting. Jongin smiles as his mind keeps flying back to the high flush on the omega’s fair skin, his wide eyes looking more endearing than scared. He’s just too cute. It’s been a while since he was last involved with an omega, but he doesn’t think anyone fits the term ‘perfect omega’ like a glove the way Kyungsoo does. At least not for him.

Well. That’s a dangerous territory, right there.

“Kim Jongin,” he hears, and he looks up to see Junmyeon looking at him from behind his desk, giving him a warning look. Of course. Always his voice of reason, his old friend is.

Jongin smirks at him. “I’m not doing anything.”

“Yet,” the older points a pen at him with narrowed eyes. “Don’t think I couldn’t hear you from all the way here.”

“And yet you didn’t correct him.” Junmyeon makes a face, a mix of amusement and distaste. It’s a face he always has when the younger does something that could get himself in trouble, but it’s also too funny for him to scold. Jongin notices it and grins. “He’s really cute, isn’t he?”

“Jongin…”

He raises his hands at the tone, a playful symbol of peace offering. “Calm down, he’s all Chanyeol’s. I know my place.” And he does. It’s not like he can do anything about his slight attraction towards this omega. Not only is it completely inappropriate, seeing as he’s Chanyeol’s (technically), he has no interest to step out of his way to deal with an omega. He enjoys his single life, with occasional fun relationships. Kyungsoo seems like a textbook omega, all proper and polite—despite the many times he seems to be suppressing his own rebellious tendency, which is what makes him so endearing for him. But he’s way too serious for Jongin’s usual taste, so what he says it’s not a lie.

But there must be something in his tone, because Junmyeon sighs. “That’s not it.“

Jongin doesn’t get to question the secretary on what he means by that placating voice, but the elevator dings. Junmyeon rolls his eyes, probably fed up from being interrupted time and time again, but he just throws a look at the elevator before his face turns into a surprise. And then he snorts loudly. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

Jongin raises an eyebrow and turns and—oh my. “Wow,” he says, before it turns into laughter.

There on the elevator door, Chanyeol stands with a sour expression, probably expecting the reaction from them. Beside him, a brunette man bites his lip, visibly trying not to laugh, but Jongin can’t even look away from the bright red on his cousin’s hair. And he means bright red, it’s almost blinding. He laughs louder, and bends down to hit his knee at Chanyeol’s scowl. “Don’t ask.”

“I’m not sure I even want to know,” Junmyeon says, grinning to keep his laughter in.

Chanyeol rolls his eyes and elbows the man beside him, but Jongin doesn’t miss the fond expression passing on his face. He quiets down and throws a look at Junmyeon, who’s giving him the same exact look. They both have known Chanyeol for years, and they never really expected that expression on the alpha’s face again after some certain events. The fact that this petite man beside him pulls that face from the alpha must mean something, and it certainly makes the whole ordeal… Jongin doesn’t think he wants to guess.

He’s not saying anything, watching the two in front of him, and then Chanyeol turns and looks at him, eyebrows slightly raised. He doesn’t say anything, probably waiting for Jongin to make a move.

A move he hasn’t made in years.

The tension suddenly falls on them. Jongin clears his throat. "He's home, huh? The Great Park Chanyeol."

Chanyeol stares. "Really,” he says with a flat tone. Jongin tries not to flinch at that, keeping his polite smile intact. They give each other a long look. He knows he’s probably acting like an asshole, but it’s. It’s hard not to, after—everything else. He clenches his jaw, but doesn’t reply.

It’s a while before the guy beside Chanyeol—probably the beta friend his aunt was talking about, although how accurate that assessment is he’s rethinking it—looks back and forth between them, expression curious, before he gives the back of Chanyeol’s jacket a slight tug. Chanyeol huffs at that, but he breaks their eye-contact and turns slightly to his friend. They don’t speak, just giving each other a look, and then Chanyeol grits his teeth and turns towards him again. He doesn’t look relaxed, but his expression clears slightly. The guy is still holding onto the back of his jacket. “You're such an asshole. Aren't you going to welcome me properly?"

Jongin tries to keep his face clear from the thoughts running in head, but he doesn’t even try to deny it. "Unlikely, Cousin."

Chanyeol gives him a look, but he doesn’t say anything more than, "You haven't changed a bit, Jongin."

That makes him tense before he even realizes it. He knows Junmyeon is watching them like a hawk, probably full of question, but he just shrugs with a small smirk. "Haven't I?"

“We should go,” the guy suddenly speaks up, voice soft and clearly meant for Chanyeol only. He throws Jongin a look before he politely smiles, but he turns towards Chanyeol, who seems torn between being furious and just. Tired. Jongin tries not to let the guilt envelop him. “Come on, your parents are already here.”

Junmyeon rises to his feet, probably reminded to actually do his job. “You can put away your stuffs there, and—“

“No need,” Chanyeol cuts him off, sending him a barely there smile. Polite, and nothing else. Jongin feels bad that he makes Chanyeol treats Junmyeon so coldly, because he knows the only reason Chanyeol is probably wary about both of them is mostly caused by him, but he can’t exactly do anything about it. Junmyeon, to his credit, just nods with a smile back at him “Let’s just go. Are you two coming in to the meeting too?”

“Just me,” Jongin replies.

Chanyeol regards him with a look, then he shrugs and walks off. “Whatever, let’s get this over with.”

The other alpha almost snorts. He wishes.

* * *

Chanyeol is amazed he’s not exploding yet. Beside him, Baekhyun looks pale, his fists almost white from how hard he’s gripping them.

“What?”

His dad massages his temple, probably preparing himself. He better be. What the fuck was he just listening to? His aunt, on the contrary, looks annoyed by his reaction, like a parent scolding their stupid kid. This must be a joke. “Chanyeol, we’ve literally talked it through just two minutes ago. What could possibly be unclear?”

At her side, the omega shifts uncomfortably, his parents looking just as uneased. Their eyes have widened when Chanyeol walks in, and the omega pales when he introduces himself as _the_ Park Chanyeol (the omega also throws Jongin, who’s smirking, a look, but Chanyeol didn’t think much about that). He doesn’t have anything against them, and they look nice enough, but the circumstances make him despise them just a little bit.

He clenches his fist. Baekhyun, always in tune with his mood, throws him a worried look. Chanyeol almost laughs, because he should be the one who gives the beta a reassurance. And that’s what he’s going to give him. “No,” he says, plain and simple.

The Dos (if he remembers correctly) tense, and he almost barks at them in annoyance. Honestly, it’s only his self-control and the short introduction his father made about how they’re a close family friends that’s stopping him. He might be twenty eight, but he’s got a lot of respect for his dad to actually control himself and not embarrass him. Well, too much, anyway. Still, at his response, his dad sighs loudly, and his aunt frowns at him. “Excuse me?”

“I just said it not ten seconds ago, Auntie, what could possibly be unclear?” He knows his being rude, his tone mocking, but he doesn’t care.

“Chanyeol,” Baekhyun reminds him softly, but instead of calming him the way Baekhyun’s voice usually does to him, he just gets more pissed.

“I said no.”

His aunt has the audacity to scoff and roll her eyes. Chanyeol always respects her, the beta in a family of alphas and omegas who always keeps her position clear and holds a clear power, but now he wants nothing but to yell at her. “Please be reasonable.”

“Are you joking? I just got here and you dropped this bomb out of nowhere and you want _me_ to be reasonable? No.” Chanyeol gives everyone in the room a look. “I haven’t been home in literal years, and you think telling me the reason for you getting me to go back to Seoul to get married is a good idea? You’re supposed to be smart, try to calculate how I’m going to react at this absolute nonsense.”

He doesn’t even realize that he’s almost yelling until he feels a cold touch against his wrist. The tension in his body bleeds out from the touch, and he slumps back down, taking a deep breath. Baekhyun keeps his touch light, running his thumb up and down his skin. He doesn’t even look at Chanyeol; he just keeps his gaze at the other people in the room, and it hits Chanyeol how grateful he is for the beta by his side. God, if this is awful for Chanyeol, this must be horrible for him.

Chanyeol takes another deep breath. The whole room watches him carefully. “Why didn’t you even say anything when I visit you, Dad?”

His aunt seems to snap out of her trance, and straightens up. “Well, we thought it’s a matter of the family, and there’s someone there with you, so I couldn’t really say anything.”

She doesn’t have to say anything more—her glance towards Baekhyun is more than enough. It ignites another fire in Chanyeol, even though the other boy doesn’t react. The beta simply keeps his move slow, looking down at the table even at the slight jab. Chanyeol moves his hand slightly to catch his palm in his own, holding his hand properly under the table. “Baekhyun is a family,” he spits out with clenched teeth.

“I didn’t know then, did I? You didn’t even introduce him to me,” his aunt scolds, her frown still in place. “You just pull him along wherever you go. Sorry you have to see this, by the way, Baekhyun-ssi.”

Baekhyun tenses at being addressed, but he finally looks up and gives his aunt a small smile. “It’s fine,” he replies politely.

Hearing Baekhyun’s voice feels like a push. He can’t let whatever this deal they’re talking about is goes on. So he steels himself, and straightens, looking at everyone at the head of the table. “Auntie, I’m not going to do it. And Sir, Mam, and, uh, you,” he addressed the Do, who looks like dears caught in headlights, “look, I have nothing against you. I’m sure you’re all wonderful people, and that you’re an amazing omega and all that. I’m really sorry about your misfortune, and I wish you all well. But I’m sure you understand why I’m rejecting this… idea, proposal, whatever. You can marry your son off to a better pair, but his pair is not going to be me.” Surprisingly, his voice is calm and composed, but it’s probably all thanks to Baekhyun’s constant and gentle touch.

The whole room is quiet once again, just for a short while, and this time an unexpected voice jumps in. “Do you have a mate, then?”

Chanyeol turns towards the person he almost forgot was even in the room with them. Jongin looks at him with a straight face, but he’s known the other alpha enough to know he’s planning something. His question proves it. “What?”

Jongin takes a brief look at Chanyeol’s dad before continuing with a shrug. “Do you have someone in mind, someone that makes you react so strongly to this?”

The red-haired alpha feels Baekhyun slackens his grip, almost moving away from him, but he catches the hand quickly and keeps his hold firm. He can feel Baekhyun gulp, but he keeps his face blank. “Why do I need to have someone in mind? This whole thing is absolutely absurd, I don’t need someone to not want to do it.”

“Jongin has a point,” his dad suddenly cuts in, and he almost winces. His grip on Baekhyun’s hand tightens. “Chanyeol, you’re my son. And I know you’re a reasonable man. We have told you the reasons of this… union, and you’re not even giving it any mind. You’re not even considering it, despite everything we’ve laid down to you. This is not a random deal, and I’m sure you understand it. Yes, this is a huge bomb we’re dropping on you, and it’s our fault that we never even breach the topic, but one of the reasons why we made this deal is because you never mentioned anyone in your life, and we thought pairing you off with a good omega at your age is a good thing. But clearly, you disagree with it. So there must be something else.” His father looks straight at him, eyes calm and calculating. Fuck. “And I’m asking you again: do you have someone in mind then? To be, in your words, your pair?”

Chanyeol stays quiet. He doesn’t know what’s stopping him, but the words refuse to form in his mouth, let alone get out. The tension feels thick in the room, enveloping them. The cold touch from Baekhyun’s fingers on his skin is gone, and he can feel sweat forming at the back of his neck despite the air-conditioner blasting. Chanyeol opens his mouth, hesitance sticking in his throat, and closes it again. He feels like a kid getting scolded, and despite knowing well that he’s not doing anything wrong (well, not particularly), he grits his teeth in frustration. Come on, just say it.

But before he gets to say anything, the hold on his hand leaves, and another person breaks the silence.

“He’s going to do it.”

Everyone’s jaw drops as Baekyhun’s words ring clear in the room.

* * *

“What?”

“What?”

_“What?!”_

Chanyeol's voice is definitely the loudest and the most pissed off.

Baekhyun flounders. “Listen! I’m, um, I just thought what your family was saying is totally reasonable. I mean, you don’t really, um, you don’t really have. Anyone. Like. Um,” he flusters, Chanyeol’s incredulous expression glaring at him. “Just, there’s no one you can introduce to you family and all, so. There’s no harm in just, you know, trying?”

And it’s the truth. It’s obvious from Chanyeol’s hesitance that he’s not ready for what he promised Baekhyun he would do when he asked him to come to Seoul, and Baekhyun won’t push him to do it. If Chanyeol needs time to say the truth, then that’s what he’s going to buy them. Even though his method might not be the most logical. Or comfortable. He winces thinking of the mess he might have just put them in, but the words are out. Baekhyun puts some space between him and Chanyeol, sending him a look he wishes the alpha would understand.

Surprisingly, it’s Chanyeol’s aunt that broke the silence. “I’m sorry, Baekhyun-ssi, but you’re practically a stranger. Why are you the one deciding for Chanyeol?”

It feels like an insult, somehow, like he’s not even supposed to be here—and the truth in it, that it’s only Chanyeol’s insistence that put him there, makes his cheeks burn. He should’ve kept his mouth shut, honestly. Baekhyun is sure his sudden discomfort at that is obvious, because Chanyeol clamps his jaw shut and sends her a glare. “At this rate, his opinion is better, because my answer to you is a massive hell no.”

Baekhyun closes his eyes. Chanyeol can get really heated, but this is honestly not the time. Especially because he doesn’t think he can calm him down. His aunt gapes. “Don’t curse at your aunt!”

Chanyeol’s dad clears his throat to cut between them, pining both of them with a look that keep his son and sister silent. “Sangmi, please. And Chanyeol, please show some respect,” he scolds. The red haired alpha huffs, but leans back. The head of the Park family turns towards Baekhyun then. “What do you mean by trying?”

He gulps. Why did he even open his mouth? “Uh, like, an engagement. Just to see how it works? That way Chanyeol can make an informed decision, and it won’t feel like a huge bomb for him. Everyone can be more prepared.”

That’s… actually a good explanation. He doesn’t really know where that came from, but he thanks his parents and God for his quick wit. Across the table, Chanyeol’s dad looks intrigued. “But what if my son says no?”

He’s sure as hell Chanyeol would say no in the end, but he keeps his gaze strong as he replies, “That’s a problem for another time, isn’t it?” Because that’s what he needs right now; just more time for the two of them. What happens later is a problem for them in the future, and Baekhyun feels better at his impulsive decision to chime into the whole family ordeal. But it is what it is; he doesn’t waver, turning more confident as Chanyeol’s dad mulls over it.

Unfortunately, it’s not the case with Chanyeol’s aunt. “That’s ridiculous, what’s the point of unnecessary engagement when Chanyeol clearly doesn’t have any other plan for himself? And not to be rude, Baekhyun-ssi, but an engagement is not that usual in Korea, especially for an omega. It just seems messy and useless, and there’s no guarantee at all that they—“

“Alright.”

And that’s another bomb dropped in the room.

Chanyeol’s aunt gapes at her brother. “Sanghyun!”

The oldest alpha in the room shrugs, keeping his focus on Baekhyun, eyes calculative. Baekhyun actually feels nervous, but he tries to keep his face blank. Or at least a little encouraging so he would actually accept the idea. “It’s better than a no, and like Baekhyun here said it gives Chanyeol more chance to make a better decision. And about all those ‘not usual for omegas’ nonsense,” he turns towards the omega from the other family, who has been staring at them silently with wide eyes. The omega visibly gulps. “That’s the omega’s decision. So Kyungsoo, what do you think?”

Kyungsoo looks confused, and he turns towards his parents. It’s obvious he’s not used to being asked to make a decision, nevermind a decision this big, and Baekhyun feels a tinge of pity. Him and his parents just look at each other silently for a long moment, before Kyungsoo shakes his head. “Um. You don’t have to worry about me.”

Chanyeol’s aunt takes that as a cue to argue again. “Sanghyun, seriously—“

Her brother ignores her, keeping his gaze steady towards the Do family. “Kyungsoo, if you are to be engaged, it’s going to be between you two. We’re going to need your agreement too, unless it’s not going to happen.”

The omega swallows again, but there’s a slight change in his demeanor. Now he seems more thoughtful than nervous as he chews at his bottom lip. And then unexpectedly, he sends a look towards Chanyeol, who has been tense the whole time. Chanyeol doesn’t even seem to realize it, seemingly deep in his own thought (and probably still pissed at Baekhyun, but the beta tries not to think about it). After a few moment he seems to reach a decision, as he nods and looks back at Chanyeol’s dad. “I think it’s a good idea.”

“You are all ridiculous,” Chanyeol’s aunt scoffs, but it seems more like a comment to herself, seeing as no one is listening to her.

Chanyeol’s dad, once again, ignores her. He directs his gaze towards Chanyeol instead. “So, son? Do you agree? An engagement first, instead of marriage?”

The alpha looks back at him, and then he turns to Baekhyun. There’s something in Chanyeol’s eyes—doubt, disbelief, anger—but there’s one thing that stands out for Baekhyun: reassurance. The beta suddenly feels choked up by emotion he tries to ignore, and silently reaches out to press their palm together once again. At the gentle touch, Chanyeol seems to understand what he wants to say and why he needs to say it, and he simply sighs before he answers shortly, “Yes.”

Everything happens fast after that. Chanyeol’s aunt still seems displeased, but she doesn’t say anything as her brother talks about another meeting with the Do about the changes in terms and agreement. In fact, no one really says anything other than Chanyeol’s dad. Baekhyun doesn’t pay attention to anything, his focus only going to Chanyeol’s tight grip on his hand. His palm is sweating, but there’s comfort from the press and warmth, so he’s not complaining.

The second Chanyeol’s father tells them to go, Baekhyun winces at the expected harsh pull at his wrist. He also expects for Chanyeol to pull him to a secluded corner near the restroom, and for the alpha to push him against the wall, his eyes bright with aggravation.

“What were you thinking?!”

Chanyeol whispers the words, but he might as well yell it to Baekhyun’s face with how much force he puts into it. Baekhyun gives him a desperate look. “Chanyeol, it’s obvious they’re not going to let you get away without agreeing, so I was just trying to help. And they’re right, you don’t really have anyone you can introduce as your pair. At least, not here.”

The alpha flinches at that, knowing well what it means. Baekhyun wants to give him his own reassurance, but he doesn’t think they can do it now, so he just shakes his head at Chanyeol’s apologetic expression. “Baekhyun…”

“It’s fine, Chanyeol,” he says softly, pressing his hand against the alpha’s arm and trying to convey his feeling into his words. “Look, at most you need to be engaged for like, three months. We can think of something to get you out of this mess in three months, and then we can go back to London the way we planned. It’s going to be fine.”

The taller still looks skeptical. . “Is it, really? And how are you so sure about that?”

Baekhyun bites at his lip. “We belong together, don't we? This is nothing."

"Baekhyun, I just got engaged to a random omega I didn’t know my whole life because of a random deal my father made with his friend! How are you so calm about this?"

_I'm not._ Baekhyun gives him a small smile. "I believe in you. And I believe in us. Don't you?"

Chanyeol stares at him at that, his breathing slowing down. He still looks frustrated, and honestly, Baekhyun doesn’t blame him. But in the end he just runs his hand against his face harshly, exhaling hard. “Baekhyun, you’re—“

“Hey.”

The foreign voice startles them apart. Baekhyun looks up to see Chanyeol’s cousin (Jongin?) standing near them, giving them a contemplative look. He doesn’t say anything much though; he simply says, “Just want to ask if you want to catch the elevator together. Uncle and the rest are still in the meeting room, so he told us to go first. Kyungsoo’s keeping the door held open if you do.”

Baekhyun looks up at Chanyeol and nods. He knows their discussion is far from over, but it’s obviously something that needs to be had in private, so the best thing for them to do right now is go back to their apartment. He thinks he probably conveys it pretty well, as his nod prompts the alpha to answer. “Uh, yeah, sure.”

They get into the elevator, the four of them, and Baekhyun regrets it immediately. It’s awkward, with Kyungsoo standing at the corner, Jongin right in front of the door with a hand on the button (probably to immediately press the close button so no one can get in as they go down), and Baekhyun and Chanyeol on another side. The elevator music plays softly, and it takes five seconds for the silence to grate on Baekhyun’s nerves and push him to talk. He turns to Kyungsoo, because he doesn’t think the other alpha (he can smell it on Jongin) would really be as friendly as the omega. Or well, at least that’s how it’s supposed to be, right? There’s no harm in trying.

“So,” Baekhyun starts, and he can tell everyone’s startled the moment his voice is heard. Kyungsoo turns towards him, and that’s all he needs to smile and keeps talking. “My name’s Baekhyun. In case you didn’t hear before. I’m Chanyeol’s friend from London.”

He knows Chanyeol is itching to hit his head, but he doesn’t pay him any mind. The omega looks at him strangely and glances briefly at the red head, but he immediately bows and smiles politely. “Ah, I’m Kyungsoo.”

“And I’m Jongin.” The tanned alpha says, not even turning. He probably notices the awkward silence following his words, because he turns towards Baekhyun and shrugs when the beta throws him a look. “Just trying to be friendly.” He sends a look towards the omega then, and Kyungsoo looks flustered, but he nods politely at Jongin.

Huh. Baekhyun continues, ignoring the weird reaction. Maybe he’s just not used to alphas. “Kyungsoo-ssi, how are you getting home?”

“Baekhyun,” Chanyeol suddenly cuts, a hint of warning in his voice.

“What? I’m just asking.” Baekhyun pouts at him, not really paying him any mind.

Kyungsoo bites his lip slightly at their interaction, answering quickly when Baekhyun gives him an expectant look. “Don’t worry, I actually brought a car with my parents, so. I’m driving back. What about you, Baekhyun-ssi?”

“Please, just Baekhyun is fine,” he waves a hand. “And I’m riding with this red-headed giant.”

Jongin snorts, and Chanyeol sighs loudly. “Baekhyun.”

“You really need a new vocabulary, Chanyeol.”

“Shut up.”

Kyungsoo chuckles when Baekhyun sticks his tongue out at the alpha beside him, and Baekhyun smiles at that. He doesn’t like tension, and will try his hardest to make the best out of an awkward situation. Such as the situation they’re in now. Honestly, it’s not Kyungsoo’s fault that they’re… stuck in this terrible limbo. Beside, he’s friendly by nature. His parents have always told him that it’s his strongest feature, so he’s going to try to use it to at least make the whole mess feel better for them.

He doubts anything could, but he’s going to try.

That’s why as he and Chanyeol get out of the elevator first, Baekhyun smiles brightly and waves at both Kyungsoo and Jongin, ignoring the incredulous look he knows Chanyeol is sending him. “See you around, Kyungsoo! Jongin-ssi!” The two of them look surprised, but he can see Kyungsoo bowing from the elevator at him and Jongin waving slightly, so he’s rather satisfied.

At the parking lot right beside the motorcycle they ride to the company (it’s an old thing Chanyeol had, but Baekhyun had been so enamored when he saw it delivered to their apartment that he demanded Chanyeol let him ride on it immediately), he struggles to fit the helmet on his head. Beside him Chanyeol is waiting for him to be done with a strange expression. Baekhyun huffs. “Can you at least help me with this,” he whines.

Chanyeol sighs. “What do I do with you, honestly,” he mutters, pushing himself up from his position, batting at his hands to fit the helmet himself. Despite his frown, Chanyeol’s touch is gentle, putting the clasp together and tilting the helmet so it fits on his head perfectly, and Baekhyun can’t help but grin brightly as he nudges at Chanyeol’s helmet with his own, a soft click between them.

“Take me home?”

* * *

The elevator is quiet for a bit after the door is closed, awkwardness enveloping them one more time after the way Baekhyun fills the silence is gone. It’s just another two floors from the lobby to the basement where their cars are, but it feels so much longer. Jongin glances at the reflection of Kyungsoo in front of him, watching the way he seems to be looking at his own shoes uncomfortably.

“I’m not Chanyeol.”

Kyungsoo immediately stiffens. He doesn’t think it’s possible but the omega actually moves closer towards the corner of the elevator. He can probably cut the tension around them with a knife. “I know that.”

“I never studied in London.”

“I think it was pretty clear the moment Chanyeol-ssi actually introduced himself.”

Jongin smirks at the biting tone from the omega. He knows for sure that if he turns around Kyungsoo is going to blush hard, refusing to make eye-contact, but it’s refreshing to see him so brave and outspoken. Maybe Jongin needs to tease him around for a little bit more.

At that thought his brain halts. He wants to grit his teeth to scold himself, because seriously, what is he doing? Kyungsoo is not here to be his friend, let alone someone he can try to—flirt with? Is he flirting with the omega? Has he really been through too long without any omega around him that he’s just thirsting for the attention or something? He frowns, trying to debate with his own alpha. Seriously, Kim Jongin. Out of anyone in the world.

Of course as he’s debating on this, the elevator stops and Kyungsoo excuses himself with a low voice, walking pass him, and immediately he panics. Why is he even panicking, he wonders, but his mouth is moving before his brain catches up and gives him an answer, and he calls out, “You’re an engaged omega now, huh?”

Kyungsoo stops and turns at him, a slight frown on his face. “Excuse me?”

“You’re owned,” Jongin says, and God, it’s not what he wants to say at all, but the way Kyungsoo looks at him, the way the omega looks small and fair and _Chanyeol’s_ , his mouth just won’t stop. “Technically.”

Kyungsoo clenches his fist. Jongin is actually kind of scared that he’s going to get punched—not that it’s possible, because technically it’s a crime for omega to hit an alpha, but still, he’d probably let it happen—because he knows what his words are insinuating, and it’s not even something he believes in. He has always been taught that everyone should be treated equally, and talking about ownership of an omega is clearly nothing like what has been ingrained in him. Jongin wishes he can backtrack and apologize, but Kyungsoo beats him to it.

“At least not by you.”

He flushes almost as soon as he said it, biting at his heart-shaped lip, but he doesn’t take it back. It’s so endearing to Jongin.

“You _did_ wish you were getting married to me,” Jongin replies easily, and bites at the inside of his cheek to keep his smile from growing at the blush that immediately floods the omega’s cheeks.

“I didn’t!” Kyungsoo shrieks, and he stops, expression mortified. The security guard near the door sends them a weird look. He lowers his voice, almost glaring at the alpha with his wide eyes but is probably too polite to actually do it. “You were the only alpha there, and you said the meeting was starting, so I jumped to that conclusion. I’m sorry if that was so offensive to you.”

Jongin wants to pinch his cheek, but he knows better than to do something so reckless. So instead he does the next best thing (for him) and does what he does best: he teases. “It couldn’t be offensive if I liked that assumption,” he says, smirking. And alright, he’s flirting, but no one important is around, so sue him. There’s a cute omega half-glaring at him, actually standing his ground at his words. It’s endearing, okay?

Kyungsoo, on his part, just stares at him, but he doesn’t give a reply to that. Instead, he shakes his head and takes a step back. His flush is still prominent, but his voice is clear. “Have a good day, Jongin-ssi.”

Jongin laughs at himself as he watches Kyungsoo leaves, nodding at the security guard keeping the door open for him. He doesn’t stop smiling as he gets into his car, and it’s only when he arrives at the parking area of his apartment that he notices how much he likes the way his name rolls off Kyungsoo’s mouth. And even when he realizes how much trouble he’s going to be in if he doesn’t stop entertaining all these thoughts, he can’t wipe the grin off of his face. Do Kyungsoo. Interesting, indeed.

* * *

“Can you please smile, dear?”

Kyungsoo doesn’t even realize that he’s been frowning at his own tie, but he tries to smooth his expression. He unclenches his fists while he’s at it. Hopefully his mother doesn’t feel it when she reaches out to pat his arm. “Sorry, Mom.”

His mom smiles softly at him, reaching out to straighten his slightly crooked tie and then patting him on the knee. “It’s fine. I know it’s hard for you. Just try for us, yeah?”

And that’s the weird thing for Kyungsoo. He doesn’t really feel anything about the engagement and the whole ‘trying before marriage’ thing. He doesn’t feel the awkwardness that he’s expecting after the whole family meeting—actually, he’s pretty apathetic about it all. He’s not sure if it’s acceptance or that the whole situation hasn’t hit him fully yet, but he just doesn’t… think about it. Despite the joined meeting and the short time he spent with Chanyeol (well, not really, but he’s got a short reading of him, kind of), Kyungsoo couldn’t bring himself to care much about the red-haired alpha. He couldn’t even remember how he looks all that much, because he spent most of that time looking down or talking to Baekhyun, and never actually interacting with Chanyeol himself.

His cousin, on the other hand, is another story.

It makes Kyungsoo so frustrated. During the few days between the family meeting and now on the way to their so-called engagement dinner, Kim Jongin is the only alpha he can think about. It grates on his nerves, not only because the alpha was so infuriating, but also because that’s _the cousin of his so-called fiancé._ He needs to be trying for his parents, and thinking of this Kim Jongin for literal days is definitely nowhere near the category of trying.

Kyungsoo takes a deep breath and tries to smile. “Of course, Mother.”

The rest of the ride is quiet, only the voices from the radio filling the silence. When they reach the restaurant, they all walk outside carefully, letting their chauffeur take the car, and immediately walks past the people around the entrance to the restaurant, probably those in the waiting list. The power of the Park family, he’s sure, because even just looking at the outside it looks extravagant and rich.

The Park family is already there, as he immediately spots the red hair sported by Chanyeol. He smiles slightly at that, remembering his father small complaint about how inappropriate it looks, but Kyungsoo personally likes it. It’s the only thing that he remembers about Chanyeol, anyway, and it’s surely eye-catching. Beside the alpha, Baekhyun looks like he’s talking to Mr. Park, making the older laugh, while Ms. Park gives a slight grimace (or a smile, he’s not too sure). The beta and Mr. Park look like the only ones enjoying their time, actually making a conversation, while Chanyeol doesn’t even look like he’s moving. And then on the other side of Ms. Park—

Oh. Kyungsoo tries not to frown. It’s Kim Jongin.

And of course, just his luck, Kim Jongin is the first person who noticed him and his family, raising his wine glass at them (or just him) with a smirk.

Mr. Park notices Jongin’s move and turns, immediately greeting them with a bright smile. He waves slightly at the waiter bringing them to their table, telling him to move faster. Mr. Park sure is an energetic one. “Youngjoon, you’re here!”

“Sanghyun,” his father greets, chuckling at Mr. Park’s friendly handshake. “Sorry we’re a bit late.”

“You’re not late, don’t worry. We’re just early thanks to Sangmi, as usual.”

His father takes a place at the other end of the table, the opposite side of Mr. Park, and Kyungsoo is looking for a place to sit when Ms. Park chimes in with a, “You should sit beside Chanyeol.”

He freezes, mostly because he didn’t think he would be addressed that bluntly, but also because he can feel Chanyeol going even more tense in his seat. Despite the obvious reluctance from the alpha, however, Kyungsoo sees no other seat, because everyone is already seated and looking at him. So he clears his throat and mumbles a small greeting towards Mr. Park and his sister, and immediately sits down beside him.

The conversation around them continues, and Kyungsoo thanks the waiter who gives him the menu and lies down the napkin on his lap, nodding politely. He’s reading the menu silently, feeling suffocated by the awkwardness between him and his supposed fiancé. They’re the only ones not talking. Across him, his mom sends him an encouraging smile. He inhales deeply and turns slightly in his seat. “Um, hello.”

Chanyeol closes his eyes for a bit, but he nods towards him. It’s not until Kyungsoo sees Baekhyun nudges him slightly that he coughs and says, “Hey.”

In front of Chanyeol, Jongin gives them a look from behind the glass of wine he keeps sipping. Kyungsoo wants the floor to open up, honestly. The alpha clearly has no intention to even look at him, only encouraged to do so because of his friend. Mr. Park speaks up at him and his parents. “We’ve already ordered the food for you guys so you won’t have to wait longer before we get to eat, I hope that’s okay. It’s just the chef’s specialties for all the courses.”

At that the omega nods in gratitude and closes the menu. The whole table talks again, but he can’t seem to make himself even open his mouth. Not to mention he can actually feel the eyes Kim Jongin keeps on him, and he feels blood rushing up to his face. This is ridiculous, he thinks. He doesn’t even know why he’s so affected. Thankfully before he does something stupid like glaring back at the tanned alpha, Baekhyun leans forwards. “You clean up nice,” he grins, and Kyungsoo can’t help but smile back. The beta is so nice and friendly, and Kyungsoo appreciates that.

“You too,” Kyungsoo says, and it’s the truth. Baekhyun looks amazing in his suit, and there’s a thin line of eyeliner around his eyes, which makes him look even more gorgeous. He would have thought him an omega from how slender and graceful he is despite his obvious playfulness, if not for the fact that he doesn’t seem to have the usual submissive attitude most omegas have. He always seems to be energetic and confident, and Kyungsoo actually envies him for that. The grace of an omega, but with the freedom betas have. It sounds like a dream come true for him. Not to add the fact that he’s supposedly best friends with Chanyeol. He knows it’s probably his own stereotype, but it’s very rare that an omega and an alpha can be _just_ best friends.

Baekhyun seems satisfied with that, and he’s about to open his mouth again when Ms. Park interrupts them. “Baekhyun-ssi, you should tell us more about your stories in London.” The beta raises an eyebrow at that, probably because she didn’t seem interested in what he was saying before, but then she glances at Chanyeol, intention clear. “You should talk to Kyungsoo, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol, again, goes rigid. Baekhyun gives them a glance, smiles apologetically at Kyungsoo, and nudges at Chanyeol’s side again, before he turns and talks with the rest of the table.

The alpha sighs. Kyungsoo tries not to be offended. He knows it’s hard for both of them, but it must be even more so on Chanyeol because he, apparently, didn’t even know about the whole ordeal until a few days ago. Kyungsoo still can’t think about it too much without breaking down even after months of knowing, so he can’t even imagine how Chanyeol is feeling.

That’s why he steels himself and blurts, “I’m actually allergic to shrimp.”

Thankfully, Chanyeol seems to be polite enough to not just ignore him for the whole night. Instead of giving him the cold shoulder like he half-expected, he finally turns properly towards Kyungsoo. “Oh?”

“Yeah,” he replies, smile widening a bit. He needs to try, and Chanyeol trying as well is giving him more courage to do so. “Hopefully today’s menu doesn’t include that in the food?”

Chanyeol shakes his head. “I don’t think so,” he says, and there’s a tone of finality that make Kyungsoo pauses. The alpha must have realized as well, because he runs his fingers through his hair and exhales slowly. “Sorry, it’s just… I’m making this really awkward. And probably really hard for you. I’m sorry.”

Kyungsoo smiles at that. The alpha seems… decent and actually nice, ignoring the many times he seems aloof to everything but his own best friend. Maybe he’s just not used to the old environment. He did spend years abroad, and Baekhyun is the only familiarity he has from London. He can’t really blame the alpha for any of it. He nods encouragingly. “It’s fine. It’s awkward for both of us, you don’t have to apologize.”

At least that gets a small grateful smile from Chanyeol, and Kyungsoo easily smiles back. They get to small talking after that, not even stopping when their meal is delivered. He wouldn’t say that Chanyeol is comfortable, but he is considerably less tense, and he takes that as a win. The whole dinner turns pleasant after that, and he’s actually grateful that he can at least say he enjoys it. The food is good, the small talk he has with Chanyeol is bearable (and actually means something—he finds out that Chanyeol is only two months older than him, and the alpha easily tells him to drop the honorifics, which in Kyungsoo’s opinion shows his hidden friendliness). Baekhyun chimes in at times, but most of the time he’s entertaining the older people in their table with his animated stories, telling anecdotes after anecdotes with a friendly smile. Even Kim Jongin is, to his dismay, talking to his parents. Low conversation flows on the table, until suddenly Mr. Park’s voice booms out. “Right, Chanyeol, Kyungsoo, I have a present for you.”

Kyungsoo is in the middle of drinking, but his hand is paused mid-air. Beside him, Chanyeol makes a strange face. “Oh, there’s no need, Mr. Park,” he tries after he finds it in himself to speak, but the older man just waves him off and stands up to take out a small black velvet box.

Oh no. “Dad,” Chanyeol says cautiously.

Mr. Park grins and pushes the small box towards them as he sits down. “Sangmi told me it’d be a good idea to gift you kids with my old wedding rings. Old things, new things, and all that. Besides, it saves you the trouble to look for jewelries, which I’m sure you’d appreciate, Chanyeol. You should try it out so we can make it fitting for both of you.”

“Excuse me,” Baekhyun suddenly says, before he leaves the table.

Chanyeol doesn’t even move to take the box, ignoring the confusion in his dad’s face; he looks so distressed that Kyungsoo clears his throat and cuts in. “Uh, as much as I appreciate such wonderful gift and gesture, Mr. Park, I think we both want to just look for a ring ourselves.” The way the alpha snaps his head towards him with wide eyes is almost funny, but truth be told, the gesture seems too… much for him. Suddenly he’s hit with the seriousness of the whole thing. Great. He gulps at the intrigued look from the older Park, but continues. “Because, like you said before, it’s our engagement. It’s a new thing for us, and we want to, to make it ours? I think it would be better for us to get something for the two of us, from the two of us, instead of just something from the Park family. As much as I really do appreciate it.”

The whole table is silent again. Everyone’s looking at him, and he wants to hide forever from the attention, but he keeps his smile intact. “Very well, then,” Mr. Park says, a smile on his face again. Even Ms. Park looks impressed. In his seat, Chanyeol may as well melt into the floor; he seems so relieved that he just slacks onto his chair. He sends Kyungsoo a grateful look before he excuses himself and gets out of the table.

“That’s touching,” Kim Jongin suddenly says from his seat. Kyungsoo almost drops his glass at the sudden interaction the alpha extends towards him, but he just bites his lip and tries not to scowl. He’s not even sure _why_ he wants to scowl.

“I didn’t mean for it to be touching. It’s the truth,” he shrugs.

The alpha leans forward with a conspirative smile. “Well, it impressed my aunt, and she always looks like someone spits on her drink.”

Kyungsoo snorts. Everyone turns at him and he masks it with a cough. Honestly, a moment with this guy and it’s like years of lessons and training go down the drain. “Don’t talk about your aunt like that,” he at least tries to scold, but he can’t stop the pull at the side of his lips.

Jongin just grins and shrugs, and Kyungsoo tries to hide his amusement behind his wine glass.

* * *

Baekhyun stares at the running water, forcing himself to take a deep breath. Calm yourself down, he huffs, moving his hand under the water, letting it slip between his slender fingers. His brain keeps replaying the image of Chanyeol and Kyungsoo sitting beside each other, Kyungsoo’s small figure fitting perfectly beside Chanyeol’s tall body, the perfect image of alpha and omega.

_Shut up,_ he grits his teeth, scolding himself for his own thoughts as he hits the faucet a little bit too forcefully to turn the water off. It’s not real. Chanyeol’s only there because you told him to, Byun Baekhyun. _Because you’re an idiot,_ his brain adds helpfully, and he lets out a self-deprecating chuckle.

Honestly, what was he thinking? He was so overwhelmed the onslaught of information, and then he remembers the way Chanyeol falters and hesitates, never even answering the question his family threw him. Then there’s Kyungsoo looking like the picture perfect omega sitting at the other end of the table, and Chanyeol’s family looking desperate—it was just a lot of things happening all at once that pushed him to just blurt out the words he’s already regretting.

But it’s all temporary. Chanyeol told him himself since the moment they bought the ticket back to Seoul; they’re only going to be here for a few months, and then he’s going to take Baekhyun home, to their cozy apartment in London, small and comfortable and meant for them. It’s going to be okay. They can get through this, and they can find a way out together. It might seem murky right now, but he trusts Chanyeol. It’s fine.

He sighs, running his hand through his hair. He stares at himself for a bit, and if he focuses he thinks he can see his temple throbbing. Ugh. “Byun Baekhyun, you’re an idiot,” he tells his reflection, frowning in annoyance at himself.

“Yes, you are.”

Baekhyun startles and turns around, and at the entrance to the men bathroom stands Chanyeol, his red hair bright and his tall figure intimidating. He never even hears the other man get in. He pouts as he notices what the alpha said. “Hey,” he whines.

Chanyeol smirks slightly. “I was just agreeing with you.”

“No one asked for your opinion,” Baekhyun sticks out his tongue, his chest loosening when Chanyeol chuckles. They have known each other for years, and it’s amazing how the taller man’s smile can easily turn his mood around, make him feel better in an instance, even since the first awkward times they were friends. Chanyeol is always so comforting, his presence soothing and right, and Baekhyun adores him for that. They’re like two puzzle pieces put together, the exact match. He smiles at that thought, but shakes himself out of it. “What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be,” he swallows, the words hurting in his throat, “exchanging rings at the table?”

The red-haired alpha makes a face at that. “Nevermind that. I saw you leaving.”

Baekhyun doesn't try to ask about what he means by that, but he raises his eyebrows. “So you decided to stalk me instead?”

“I’m your number one stalker,” Chanyeol agrees with a straight face, and Baekhyun giggles at that. Chanyeol’s face turns softer, smile spreading on his face. “You know I don’t really care about what's happening outside anyway.”

Baekhyun smiles. The alpha is not a romantic person, but he's always blunt with his words. He doesn't try to sugarcoat thing, never even attempts to sweet talk, and Baekhyun likes it the most about him; that he doesn't have to second guess Chanyeol's feeling, because his simple words do that easily for him. Like now, when Chanyeol just simply implies that he cares more about Baekhyun than the whole ordeal. It's not a huge thing, but it's a reassurance for him nevertheless. “I know,” he replies softly.

They stay quiet for a bit, and Baekhyun wonders why no one has come to look for them yet. He bites his lower lip. As much as he wants to stay here longer, away from the people he doesn’t know out there, he knows he can’t be selfish. Those people are Chanyeol’s family and family friends.

And Baekhyun—Baekhyun is here as a friend as well. A close friend from London, that’s what he is right now. “We should probably go back,” he says, trying to sound a bit more cheerful. He knows Chanyeol dreads to go back, so he needs to be the bigger person now. “Come on, put on your smile. At least the food is good.”

He’s skipping towards the entrance, going around Chanyeol’s body to get to the door, but then there’s a grip on his wrist and he’s being turned around. Baekhyun yelps as his back almost slams against the wooden door, but Chanyeol’s hand is there against the back of his neck, easing him slowly back. He doesn’t even get to look up before the alpha is there, body pressing flushed against him, and Baekhyun feels his heartbeat increase. Chanyeol’s smell envelops him, musky and familiar, and he automatically clings at the front of the alpha’s shirt.

“Yeollie,” he whines, tilting his head back to let Chanyeol presses his nose against his jawline.

“Baekhyunnie,” the taller replies teasingly, voice soft and rough, and Baekhyun closes his eyes at that. His grip tightens, pulling Chanyeol impossibly closer against him. They’re pressed together against the door of the men bathroom, and it should be uncomfortable, but Baekhyun feels the most at ease for the whole night. Joking around and talking for the whole night didn't help him relax one bit; Chanyeol's arms do. Chanyeol pulls back and tilts his chin with his huge hand, and when Baekhyun looks up at him, his eyes are bright and wide and full of affection that Baekhyun feels dizzy. There’s adoration pouring from the younger’s eyes, just like they always do when he looks at Baekhyun, and it calms the storm in his heart. He grins, looking like the playful and younger man Baekhyun has known for years. “You’re blushing,” he teases again, pressing their noses together.

Baekhyun scrunches his nose again, and annoyingly he can feel his face heats up even more. “Well, your hair is on fire, so you have no room to—“

Chanyeol kisses him.

_Well, that’s rude,_ Baekhyun thinks, but his thoughts are immediately replaced with heat, the way his brain always is when they kiss. Chanyeol’s palm is wide and hot against the side of his jaw, moving his head so their lips fit perfectly, and Baekhyun lets him. He runs his hands up the alpha’s front before finally circling them around Chanyeol’s neck, pulling him closer. The kiss is scorching, probably too heated for a kiss in a damn men bathroom, but Baekhyun couldn’t care less when Chanyeol’s other hand travels down and settles at the slope at the end of his spine, tender and sure as he presses Baekhyun’s body towards him.

They kiss for a few minutes, gentle pressing of lips against each other, and at the end the lack of air make them pull back. Chanyeol keeps his forehead against Baekhyun’s, his eyes looking even brighter, and there’s a healthy flush across his cheek. “That’s better,” he grins, pecking Baekhyun’s lip one last time.

Baekhyun rolls his eyes, but he smiles as he playfully bites at Chanyeol’s chin, laughing at the taller’s indignant groan. Yeah, they’re alright.


	3. Episode 2

Jongin sighs as he walks away. He has expected it, but it’s certainly going to complicate a lot of things. He tries not to think about it, but he can’t help but get lost in his own head as he walks down the small empty hallway towards their table again. Clearly, he can’t really say a word about it, but he wonders how things are going to unfold itself. As he takes slow steps towards the dining area of the restaurant, he is too distracted by his own thoughts that he doesn’t notice the petite man in front of him until the soft voice pulled him out of his daze. “Jongin-ssi?”

The alpha looks up at that, and sure enough, Kyungsoo is looking at him curiously, his signature wide eyes present. Somehow, it pulls a chuckle out of him. “You can just call me Jongin,” he says. Kyungsoo gives him a look, and doesn’t give that a reply. Jongin shrugs. “Why are you here?”

“Ah, your aunt told me to go fetch Chanyeol? Said he’s taking too long and I should check on him.” _Like a proper omega should,_ he doesn’t say, but Jongin knows his aunt enough to know that it was probably implied. He can see the impact clearly in the way Kyungsoo bows his head down slightly, his whole demeanor more submissive than the omega he’s been talking to a couple times before, not looking straight at him.

It irks the alpha. “Why are you not looking at me properly?”

The omega looks up in shock at the remark, but he immediately bites his lip and blinks slowly, clearly rearranging his own stance. “Properly?”

“You know what I mean,” Jongin clicks his tongue with impatience.

“I’m not sure I do.”

The alpha frowns. “Look, I don’t know what my aunt said to you,” he says, rolling his eyes when Kyungsoo makes a noise of protest, “or _anyone_ , but you’re a good omega even without doing, all this.” The taller man makes a slight gesture towards Kyungsoo. “You don’t have to change yourself to follow a certain set of rules or whatever they’re telling you. You’re enough.”

He’s not even sure what possessed him to say that. Jongin certainly doesn’t know Kyungsoo enough to know whether or not the omega is trying to change himself or if maybe that’s just how he is, and he honestly doesn’t know where his whole speech came from. Uncharacteristically, he can feel his ears heating up from embarrassment. He knows there’s no fault in being sincere, but this omega is essentially a stranger, and it makes him feel strangely vulnerable. Kyungsoo’s eyes are still wide, seemingly taken aback, but as Jongin clears his throat his eyes soften. And he actually looks up to face him, which is an improvement.

Improvement for what, Jongin scolds himself in his brain, not even sure what he wants from the omega. Kyungsoo, however, just chuckles softly. “Thank you,” he says with a small voice, sincerity pouring in them.

“Yeah,” he whispers back, clearing his throat again when he realizes it sounds too serious to be casual. The atmosphere seems too heavy for a small talk between acquaintances, and Jongin straightens himself up, putting a distance between them to clear the air a little. “You’re welcome.”

At the slight change of posture, Kyungsoo looks like he wants to say something, but he just shakes his head slightly. “Do you know where Chanyeol-ssi went? And,” he pauses, frowning a bit. “Baekhyun-ssi?”

Now Jongin isn’t sure he wants to say anything. He turns his head slightly, peeking over his shoulders, towards the closed door just slightly behind him, but just shrugs. “Restroom, probably.”

The omega bites his lip, a worried frown etching his face. “Are they okay? Is Baekhyun-ssi maybe sick? He did leave the table pretty quickly just now.”

“I’m sure if he’s not okay we will know,” he waves off. Kyungsoo frowns at that, so Jongin adds, “They’re probably fine. Maybe there’s a line or something. We should just go back to the table.”

The omega doesn’t look too sure at that. “I think your aunt wouldn’t be too happy if I go back without his nephew…,” he says under his breathe, probably not meant to be said loudly. Or even at all.

It sounds so candid, more like he was thinking to himself or something, and somehow it makes Jongin laugh lightly. “She’s not really happy with anything.”

Kyungsoo seems to realize he said the words out loud, and his face turns red. It’s so fascinating to see, the way his pale skin just flushes so quickly, the apple of his cheeks turning bright in a few moments. Jongin feels a bit helpless, strangely. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t really—”

He shrugs. “It’s fine, it’s the truth.”

They just look at each other for a bit, Kyungsoo still blushing, and Jongin can feel the slight pull upwards at the edge of his lips. But then he notices something. It’s small, not really something important, but it feels like a small slap at his face all the same. He doesn’t want to say it, but he pushes himself to, as if it’s more important for him to hear it than to say it. “Your fiancé.”

Kyungsoo blinks. “I’m sorry?”

“Chanyeol,” he says, the name heavy in his tongue. He bites the inside of his cheek before he continues. “He’s, well yes, he’s Auntie’s nephew, but he’s your fiancé.” It sounds weird in his tongue. “You should probably get used to that.”

The omega frowns again at that. “You mean to being owned,” he says, voice curt.

Jongin groans. “Shit, I forgot I said that. That was inappropriate for me to say, and—”

“It’s the truth,” Kyungsoo says with a small voice, an echo of what Jongin said, and it makes him flinch.

“It’s absolutely not the truth. I was getting carried away while teasing you, and that was not at all the reflection of what I thought. An engagement is a union between equals, no one is owned whatsoever. Your say have as much worth as your alpha’s, and I’m sorry that I said something so out of line that is clearly offensive to say.”

The omega is basically an open book, at least to Jongin. His expression shifts quickly between shock, embarrassment, awe, and finally, settling on a soft expression the taller man isn’t sure what to name. His mouth opens and closes a couple of times, like he’s unsure about what to say.

Jongin feels it too. The uncertainty. He clearly has said way too many things that he otherwise wouldn’t really say to an omega, and it’s really throwing him off balance. The silence between them turns heavy again, but not because it’s uncomfortable. It’s quite the opposite—it feels so familiar, so right, that Jongin doesn’t dare to break it. They keep looking at each other, bodies moving closer without either of them realizing. He looms over Kyungsoo with his height, with the omega looking up at him with bitten lip.

“Um, guys?”

The two of them startle apart, even though they weren’t even standing close in the first place. Jongin turns quickly, and behind them is Baekhyun with Chanyeol standing closely behind him. Chanyeol has the buttons of his suit opened, his tie slightly crooked, but he looks mostly the same, not a single strand of hair out of place. Baekhyun looks as immaculate as he was on the table, and it’s only his alpha eyes that make him notice the slightly biting mark on his lower lip.

Jongin stares at them. Baekhyun looks back, unflinching. The alpha is almost impressed.

“You took a long time,” Jongin simply says.

Baekhyun doesn’t even blink at the comment. “Yeah, I was feeling a bit dizzy. Probably the wine or something, I’m a bit of a lightweight.”

“Are you okay, Baekhyun-ssi?”

The beta blinks before his expression brightens, looking away from Jongin. “Kyungsoo! I told you to call me Baekhyun,” he chastises, grinning at the omega’s smile. “And I’m fine, don’t worry. Why are you two here anyway? Did the old ones create a search party or something?”

Kyungsoo chuckles, visibly relaxing. “Kind of,” he answers with a light tone. He turns slightly, throwing a look at Chanyeol who’s standing quietly behind the beta. “Are you alright, Chanyeol-ssi?”

The red haired alpha startles at being addressed, but Baekhyun clicks his tongue and links his arm with Kyungsoo, who despite looking a bit taken aback doesn’t take his arm away. “He’s fine, just a bit too worried about me. You know what those alphas are like. Oh, and you should just call him Chanyeol, aren’t you two basically the same age?” The two petite men walk away, Baekhyun’s chattering going further and lower as they do, leaving Jongin and Chanyeol standing at the empty hallway.

Jongin sends him a look. Chanyeol looks like his mind is far away, and they might be stuck in a weird place, but Chanyeol is—was?—his best friend growing up. It’s mostly instinct that pushes him to say, “Everything alright?”

This time, the red haired alpha doesn’t look shocked. He just takes a deep breath and simply turns towards Jongin with a blank expression. It looks foreign on Chanyeol, an expression that has never been pointed towards Jongin before, and he doesn’t know how to react to that. The Chanyeol he knew from childhood, all the way to the cusp of adulthood, they’re vastly different from the Chanyeol standing in front of him. He feels his heart twinge with regret, but.

“Yeah,” Chanyeol simply replies, before he leaves. Jongin stays rooted at his place for a few seconds, watching his retreating back without a word.

* * *

When they reach the table, the seating arrangement has slightly altered - the Do are now sitting on his father’s left side, across from his aunt, and the four chair on the other end of the table is empty. His father is laughing at something his friend was saying, almost spilling his wine. He has always been cheerful and energetic, an entirely different side of him outside of his calculative side, and Chanyeol has always respected that.

Now though, especially in this circumstance, it just makes him wary. He almost flinches at his father’s previous grand gesture of showing off their old rings.

Chanyeol throws a small glance at the omega as they sit down. He sits beside his mother, sitting on his other side as the alpha takes the seat at the end of the table. Kyungsoo really did save his ass. He was too shocked to do anything at that moment—all he could think of as he stared at the rings in his father’s hand was to get up and run after Baekhyun. But then the omega had been so suave and eloquent in turning down such an offer, and Chanyeol couldn’t really thank him properly (he was too worried sick about the beta, sue him). Now that they’re seated again, he couldn’t help but be impressed.

Baekhyun had told him over and over during their talk before this dinner that in no circumstances would he allow Chanyeol to be rude to the omega, because it’s not his fault. Chanyeol had been skeptical, because it was still the omega’s family that made this deal happen at all, but now that he thinks about it, maybe Kyungsoo is just as trapped as he is. He’s not his family, after all. It shames him that he wasn’t really thinking about the possibilities where the omega didn’t want to be married, that age old thinking about how omegas are made for marriages drilled in his head, and he’s sure Baekhyun would probably punch him if he said anything about it.

So maybe he should make it easier for the omega too. Chanyeol owes him, in a way. He clears his throat, catching the attention of most people on the table, and leans slightly towards Kyungsoo. “Did you finish your dessert?”

On his other side, Baekhyun’s expression immediately turns amused, but his smile looks like approval. He can feel a nudge against his shoe, and the alpha bites down a grin as he nudges Baekhyun’s shoe back.

Kyungsoo frowns a little, probably shocked that he’s trying to start a conversation at all, but he nods immediately. “Yeah, it was really great,” he answers politely. His expression turns into one of worry again. “Are you sure you and Baekhyun are alright, Chanyeol-ssi?”

Chanyeol waves it off. “Yeah, I’m fine. Baekhyun was a bit sick so I stayed back, but it’s just because he’s a loser.” Baekhyun slaps his upper arm in the middle of his own conversation with Jongin, not even turning towards him, and he laughs lightly as he rubs at his arm. He turns back towards Kyungsoo, who’s smiling at them. It makes him smile towards the omega too. “You should really call me Chanyeol. I’m younger than Baekhyun and you seem comfortable with him, it shouldn’t be too hard for you to treat me similarly.”

The omega bites his lip, suddenly looking hesitant. For some reason, he throws a glance at his aunt. “I mean, Baekhyun is a beta, and you’re my—”

He snaps his mouth shut, chewing at his lower lip, but the alpha knows the end to that sentence, along with the implication. _You’re an alpha, and I’m_ just _an omega._ Chanyeol, despite the stereotype about omega he himself had in his head, is slightly taken aback by this. He’s probably been abroad for way too long, and while there’s some residual ancient and stuck up teaching stuck in his head, he’s so used to their wolf gendering not meaning much in his interactions with other people. He’s not known as an alpha out there, just as Chanyeol.

And then there’s Kyungsoo, an omega, who still worries over his behavior towards someone ‘above’ him. It doesn’t sit well with him. 

(He tries to ignore that Kyungsoo has said that Chanyeol is _his_ alpha. He can’t help the glance he throws at Baekhyun, but fortunately the beta seems too busy laughing at something Jongin says to him.)

Chanyeol tries to smoothen his expression from the frown he knows is already on his face. “Don’t worry about that,” he states. “As far as I’m concerned, we’re the same age, so it’s fine for us to be casual with each other.”

Kyungsoo still looks skeptical, but he probably sees some kind of reassurance on his face, because he sighs and replies, “Alright.” Chanyeol raises an eyebrow, and Kyungsoo chuckles. “Alright, Chanyeol.”

Now that Chanyeol sees Kyungsoo as more of an equal in the whole marriage deal—that Kyungsoo might not want to marry him either, and they could maybe get out of it together—it feels easier for him to act the way he does with his friends. Because that’s probably what Kyungsoo is, now; a friend. Baekhyun clearly sees and treats the omega as such, and Chanyeol trusts him enough to go along with it. He feels the tense on his shoulders loosening up.

Of course, that’s the moment him and his father makes eye contact, and the older alpha ruins it.

“Everyone,” his father voice booms from the other end of the table, and he’s standing up. Chanyeol feels an uncomfortable tug forming in his stomach. His father is sending him a proud look, and Chanyeol doesn’t think it’s going to be good. “If you could pay attention.”

It’s mostly directed at their side of the table, as Jongin and Baekhyun immediately stop their conversation and turn towards his tall figure. He clears his throat. “So,” he starts, his voice clear. Some people around them glance towards their table, and Chanyeol squirms. Beside him, the omega looks just as uncomfortable. “As you all know, today we are having this dinner as a celebratory. Today, we are all here as a family, because our heirs are going to combine us together in their companionship.”

Chanyeol wants to groan. He notices Kyungsoo’s face immediately getting flushed with color, and on his other side, Baekhyun’s lips twitch in slight disdain. He wants to reach out to hold the beta’s hand, but he knows it’s risky, so he just grips at his own fist.

His father is, unfortunately, not done. “Let’s hope that after they get to know each other more and get closer in their engagement, my son will finally get out of his stubborn head and say yes so they can join in a marriage and we can be proper family. Personally, I can’t wait for him to eat his words and agree that I, indeed, made a good job when I put him in this deal.”

He sends a wink at Chanyeol as the others laugh good-naturedly, clearly oblivious to the fact that all he wants to do is bang his head against the table. “Haha,” he deadpans, somehow sending the elders into another comfortable laughter despite the obvious tension around him.

The tension is also obviously surrounding Baekhyun. He wants to run his hands across his back, calming the beta down, but his father is asking for a toast. He can see the slight tremble in Baekhyun’s fingers as he lifts his glass, and a rock forms in the pit of his stomach. Under the table, he moves his foot to press its side against Baekhyun’s, hoping to send him some kind of comfort.

The brunette blinks repeatedly at the motion, seemingly getting out of a trance. He turns to look at Chanyeol, and they look at each other for a short second, but it seems like they manage to say everything with that single look. Chanyeol gives him a small smile, and Baekhyun scrunches his nose cutely for a short second, tilting his wine glass towards him. It seems like they’re the only two in the restaurant, and suddenly, that’s all the alpha needs at that moment—a small familiarity from someone who has always been right there beside him. No family responsibilities, no half strangers, no new acquaintances. Just him and his best friend, his boyfriend, _his Baekhyun._

“A toast for Chanyeol and Kyungsoo!” His father’s voice says, but as Baekhyun sticks his tongue out slightly and makes him chuckle, Chanyeol thinks, _This is for us._

_Well, and the mess you put us in_ , his brain adds on. He steps on Baekhyun’s toe as the thought comes, expecting the kick on his shin but still groaning anyway, waving away the rest of the table’s worried look. That’s his Baekhyun for you.

* * *

“Sorry,” Baekhyun walks hurriedly towards Jongin who is leaning against his own car, playing with his phone as he plays around with his phone, “I had to ask Chanyeol for the exact address since I’m still clueless about our whereabouts most of the time.”

Jongin looks up from his phone, giving him a small smile. “It’s fine. Did you get it?”

Baekhyun grins at the alpha, shaking his phone slightly. “Right here.”

They get into the car immediately. He almost throws a forlorn look at Chanyeol’s already driving away car, but he manages to keep himself together. Chanyeol’s aunt has immediately asked the alpha to bring Kyungsoo home after they were done with their dinner, ignoring the omega’s reply that he’s perfectly fine with going home with his parents. “That’s what an alpha should do for their omega, Chanyeol,” she had chastised, and Baekhyun had felt the slight pinch in his chest returns. As he’s never one for confrontation though, he simply put on a smile and told Chanyeol to do just that, ignoring the alpha and the omega’s protests.

“He can ride with me,” Jongin had suddenly pitched in, and then it’s decided. Chanyeol looked completely uncomfortable, but Baekhyun secretly threw him a kiss, smiling at the small chuckle Chanyeol let out at that.

And here he is now, in Jongin’s sleek black Porsche. They put the address onto the navigation of the car. It’s quiet for a bit, the navigation doing its thing, the sound of the car running filling the silence.

_“In 500 metres, turn right.”_

“So, Baekhyun,” Jongin starts, making the beta turn towards him. “How long have you known Chanyeol?”

Baekhyun raises his eyebrows. “Not even a honorific? Aren’t you younger than me?”

Jongin shrugs, but there’s a small smirk on his face. “I figure you would just tell me to forgo it, but I’d use it if you want me to.”

“Nah, I’m just messing with you,” the beta laughs easily, before he answers the question. “Chanyeol… well, I first met him during orientation at university, so almost six years? We’ve known each other pretty much the whole time he’s in London.”

“You’re Korean as well, right?”

Baekhyun nods, but then scrunches his nose. “Well, kind of. My father had to move to London when I was young because of work, so I’ve lived way longer there. My parents got us a British citizenship immediately after we were allowed to so life can be easier there, so technically I’m not really Korean. The only Korea I know is the one my parents show me at home. This is actually the first time I’ve been here again after I left to live abroad when I was, maybe four years old?”

“You never visit or go on holidays here?”

The beta shakes his head. “Not really. My father is an orphan and has lived alone long before I was born, and my mother isn’t really close with her family here. They still contact each other, but she never really tried to make me go visit them or anything. When my grandmother from her side died, I was doing my university entrance examination, so they didn’t make me come with them either.”

The alpha hums in acknowledgement. “So, I guess you’re not really familiar with the custom in Korea?”

Baekhyun frowns. “The custom?”

Jongin throws him a glance, even though he mostly keeps his eyes on the road. Baekhyun sees it though, and there’s something in the glance that makes him gulp. “That alphas are only allowed to mate with omegas.”

It makes him freeze. That’s not the way he expected their talk to go. Jongin says it lightly, as if it’s a common topic of conversation, but somehow Baekhyun doubts the alpha would talk about something like this with any acquaintances he drives home. “I… I know that,” he replies cautiously. “That’s how it works in the world, isn’t it?”

The alpha shrugs. His expression is still mostly neutral, but somehow it worries him more. “Well, a lot of western countries are more open-minded about that. I’ve heard of countries that legalize beta-non-beta relationships. Isn’t the U.K. one of them?”

Baekhyun doesn’t know what to answer to that, so he just answers it with the simple truth. “Yeah.”

“In here it’s a bit… unique, I guess,” he continues, seemingly ignoring Baekhyun’s increasing confusion. “Or maybe ancient. A lot of older people still hold onto the traditional customs, which for me personally is bullshit. Don’t you think?” He throws another glance at Baekhyun, who stares at him with wide eyes. “You will be in love people you love. Why there’s even a traditional custom trying to line our feeling with our biology really makes no sense, does it?”

The beta is floored. “I’m… I guess.” They’re silent for a bit, the running car with the occasional directions from the navigation filling the stilled quietness in the space. Baekhyun still stares at the other man with a frown, not even knowing how to control his expression properly. He’s not sure what brings this whole thing up, as the only answer he can think of is frankly scaring him. He gulps, forcing himself to laugh and loosen up the tension in his shoulders. “This is a really heavy topic to have as our conversation,” he chuckles.

Jongin, thankfully, gives him a slight smile. “Probably. Any lighter topic?”

“Hm, I don’t know,” he replies, relief surging through his body as the alpha easily drops the talk. He tries to think of something to talk about when a thought comes to his mind. “Oh! What’s your relation with Chanyeol, exactly?” He has asked the red-haired alpha the same question, but Chanyeol has dodged his questions, and Baekhyun simply didn’t feel it was important enough to push. “You call each other cousins, but I didn’t know Chanyeol’s father have any other siblings?”

Strangely, the atmosphere turns heavy in a split second. The alpha’s grip on the steering wheel tightens, and Baekhyun can see his jaw tightening even from the dim lighting from the lights outside the car. “He doesn’t,” Jongin replies, and doesn’t elaborate.

_“In 800 metres, turn right.”_

Baekhyun gives him a look. So maybe it’s more serious than he thought. He makes a mental note to ask Chanyeol again as he clears his throat. “Other lighter topic?”

Jongin chuckles. “Please,” he says, loosening his grips. Baekhyun bites his lip and looks up, humming as he thinks, but the alpha beats him to it. “I know. Tell me something about your university years with Chanyeol.”

The beta lets out a small laugh. “I’ve told most of them during dinner. Weren’t you listening?”

“There must be more. You guys spend years together,” he shrugs.

Honestly, Baekhyun is a bit doubtful. After the whole talk about South Korean’s custom and such, he’s pretty sure Jongin at least suspects something between them, and talking about Chanyeol might just make it worse. Especially when he knows how he can get carried away, telling his stories without any filters, and there might be something that give them away without him realizing. But there’s an obvious discomfort in Jongin’s posture, and Baekhyun feels bad to just ignore it. Besides, he wasn’t always Chanyeol’s boyfriend, and it should be easy enough for him to just share some stories about their silly days as university students before they actually got together.

So he does, the words flowing easily. It always makes him happy, talking about their days together, because they really are something he cherishes. He talks about their meeting at orientation, how Chanyeol was a grumpy asshole at first (which Jongin looks weird about, but he doesn’t ask), how they end up as the duo everyone knows, always up to something. He’s mastered the way he talks about their friendship, because it’s always fun to tell others about it. He exaggerates a few stories here and there, making Jongin comment and laugh at them.

Jongin is chuckling in the middle of Baekhyun’s story about how he convinced Chanyeol to prank his professor despite being in a different major from him, his personal favorite story, when he suddenly cuts the beta with, “You two are really close, aren’t you?”

Baekhyun grins. “He’s my best friend,” he says, and it’s the truth. Chanyeol has always been, and will always be, his best friend first. Even when they get together, their relationship stays easy and fun, and that’s mostly why he loves it so much.

The alpha smiles. “Yeah, I can see that.” Jongin pauses for a bit, looking contemplative, before he continues. “You seem to be willing to do a lot of things for him.”

Baekhyun goes silent.

It’s a simple comment, harmless and easy, but for some reason, it hits Baekhyun how true the statement is. He is willing to do a lot of things for his partner, if not everything. When Chanyeol got the call from Korea telling him to go back home, Baekhyun didn’t ask questions as he packs half of his life into a suitcase, ready to follow the alpha wherever he needs him to be. Baekhyun is an easy-going person, always going with the flow, and while his relationship with Chanyeol is relatively easy, there’s a change in him in regards of the alpha. With Chanyeol, he’s always ready to go all-in, sometimes without thinking about how it’s going to affect himself. He trusts Chanyeol to always catch him when he follows, guiding him, and that’s why his commitment has never bothered him. Moreover, Chanyeol is exactly the same towards him, putting his everything in their relationship and for Baekhyun himself.

He glances at his phone, his brain going to the image of Chanyeol sitting beside Kyungsoo. Baekhyun swallows, feeling something bitter at the back of his throat.

_“At the intersection, take a left.”_

The rest of the ride is spent in silence.

* * *

_Hey, I’m already here. I’m sorry again for intruding, your aunt didn’t really leave me any choice ;; Can you tell me your apartment number? Sorry!_

Kyungsoo sighs. He’s not sure how he’s here, a young man in a suit beside him holding two bags of his groceries as he himself use his phone. After a few minutes of no replies, he bites his lip. “Um, do you know where Chanyeol’s apartment is exactly? He’s not replying.”

The chauffer nods and walks off. Kyungsoo sighs again. It’s three days after the dinner, and he’s pretty sure it’s already the most bizarre day he’s had in his life, even if it’s still in the middle of the day.

The whole thing started in the morning. He was browsing the internet and watching some cooking videos (they calm him, okay), when the house landline rang. As someone who has a cellphone, it never really concerned him. Very rarely is the call meant for him, because most of the people who have his house number are his parents’ business partners and friends. He was a bit confused because his parents are working at the company at that hour, but maybe it’s just someone with a message to relay or something, so he didn’t really pay it much mind. Right as he went back to his laptop, one of the family’s maids has knocked on his door to tell him that call was, actually, for him, and he simply raised his brow at that before he received the call cautiously.

It was Chanyeol’s aunt. Worse, it was Chanyeol’s aunt’s no-nonsense voice telling him that she has sent a Park family chauffer to his house so he can go to Chanyeol’s apartment to socialize, whatever that means. She didn’t even let him reply, hanging up immediately after she told him that he’s going to be at his house in a few minutes. Kyungsoo was too shocked to do anything, but a few minutes later the same maid knocked on his door again and told him that someone was waiting for him. He jumped towards his closet and changed in a flash, not even having a chance to be nervous that he’s going to an alpha’s house.

When he was in the car, he realized that he has nothing to do or planned. He told the chauffer to go to a supermarket where he bought some stuffs he can cook for lunch, thinking that maybe a stay-in lunch would be good. It’s still going to be awkward, for sure, but it’s not like he can do anything about it. He just hopes Chanyeol wouldn’t slam the door in his face or ignore him on his doorstep. The several texts he sent to the alpha go unanswered. The chauffer didn’t really offer any help either, just telling him that he’s told to pick him up and then drop him at Chanyeol’s apartment.

Kyungsoo lets out another breath as he stands awkwardly with said chauffer in the small elevator. It feels like he can’t sigh enough at his situation. He doesn’t say anything as the chauffer walks in front of him, simply following along like a lost child. Well, technically, he _is_ lost, because he’s not even sure where he is. He’s not even sure Chanyeol would open the door for him. He glances at his phone again. Unconsciously, he lets a smile appear on his face, and a small giddiness appears in his stomach.

_(“My number?”_

_Chanyeol keeps his eyes on the road, but he reaches towards the space under the radio to take his phone, holding it towards Kyungsoo. “Yeah. Uh, Baekhyun told me to ask for it, in case we need to arrange something. Also, if you don’t mind, he kind of wants a friend in Korea, and he doesn’t go out much here, so.”_

_“Ah, I see. Sure, let me put it in,” he replies, taking the phone from the alpha's offered hand._

_When he gets home, there are two texts on his phone. One, a cheerful text from Baekhyun, full with emoji and laughter. Kyungsoo smiles at that, immediately replying with a few emojis himself. He’s not someone who uses them, but he feels like he should match the beta’s friendly enthusiasm._

_The other one is a simple_ ‘Hey, this is Chanyeol.’ _Unexpectedly, it makes his cheeks warm.)_

It’s silly. He knows it is. Chanyeol is simply being friendly. And he has told Kyungsoo himself that the only reason he asked for his number is because Baekhyun asked for it, so honestly, it’s silly that he lets it affect him. But he can’t really help it—he doesn’t interact much with alphas, having been put in a school for omegas or homeschooled before. He has some alpha friends, sure, but they’re mostly his omega friends’ mates or siblings, so he doesn’t really interact with them. Technically, the only alphas he has met and have some kind of relations with are Chanyeol and, well, Jongin.

But Jongin is too… much for him. He isn’t sure how else to describe it. The alpha makes him nervous a lot of times, and he’s admitted that he actually teases Kyungsoo, and the omega isn’t sure how to take that. He’s not sure why, but Jongin makes his stomach turn, almost uncomfortable. There’s almost always a blush on his cheeks every time he talks to the alpha, and it both frustrates and mortifies him. Chanyeol, on the other hand, is nice and kind enough after he gets over his whole brooding and aloof personality. Moreover, his interactions with Baekhyun, who Kyungsoo feels he can call as a friend now, calm him down a lot more than he thought. He feels much relaxed with the red-haired alpha, the opposite of what he feels with Kim Jongin.

Which, he thinks, is good. Chanyeol is his fiancé after all. It’s actually an improvement that he can feel content enough when interacting with an alpha that could be his mate in the future. Even when they text sometimes during the three days, a small talk about what they’re doing during the day, he doesn’t feel nervous or have his heart beat faster— it’s just comfortable with him.

Now, walking towards Chanyeol’s apartment, he feels his steps turning lighter.

“It’s this one.”

Kyungsoo is pulled out of his head. The chauffeur is standing in front of a door, his body turned towards him, as if waiting for the omega to respond. The smaller man coughs in embarrassment. “Ah, alright,” he bows, stepping towards the door quickly. “Thank you.”

He nods. After Kyungsoo tells him that he can go, he puts the groceries beside the omega’s feet, walking away without a word and leaving him a nervous mess. 916. Kyungsoo takes a deep breath as he looks at the golden number at the front of the grand looking wooden door. And then he presses the doorbell.

A few seconds pass before there’s a shout from inside. “Hang on!”

Kyungsoo takes a step back. That’s… not Chanyeol’s voice? Does he live with someone else? His aunt didn’t say anything about it, and he has assumed that the young bachelor, the Park heir, lives alone. Or is this not the right one? It seems unlikely that the chauffeur would lead him to the wrong apartment, but maybe it’s a genuine error. Kyungsoo is already getting ready to apologize when the door is pulled open.

“Yes?”

It’s a half-naked Baekhyun opening the door, face flushed red, holding onto a towel around his waist. Kyungsoo blinks. Behind him, Kyungsoo can see Chanyeol in his boxer, also half naked with his sweaty chest in display. The red-haired alpha looks stunned, his mouth gaping, and Baekhyun’s jaw drops slightly. The omega doesn’t even know how his own expression looks, but he can feel his eyes widening.

The three of them stare at each other in silence.

* * *

Kyungsoo blinks slowly, carefully looking at the two in the apartment. “Um,” he says.

Surprisingly, it’s Chanyeol who snaps out of his shock first. “Kyungsoo. How did you know our place?”

_Our?_ “Um, your aunt… she sent a driver to bring me here? Said that we need to… hang out more. I sent you several texts.”

The alpha groans. “It doesn’t have any battery, so it’s charging while it’s off.”

Kyungsoo chews at his lips. He’s not really sure what to think, and it seems rude to jump to conclusions, but he knows that he probably shouldn’t be there. He starts bowing down repeatedly, his face heating up. “I’m really sorry,” he says in a hurry, not looking at the two men in front of him. “Is this a bad time? Or, uh, I’m sorry if it’s… I probably shouldn’t have come. I really apologize.”

The beta and the alpha look at each other for a bit before Baekhyun shakes his head. “No! Oh God, please don’t apologize, it’s totally fine. We just didn’t realize we’re going to have visitors, that’s why we look like,” his cheeks start to color as he glances back at the alpha, “this. I just finished showering, and Chanyeol is just shameless, really. But you’re always going to be welcome here, Kyungsoo, there’s no need to say sorry.” Baekhyun glances at the plastic bags at his feet. “Are those yours? Honestly, we’re really rude, we should be the ones apologizing. Let me help you with that. Please come in! We haven’t really settled in yet, sorry for how bare it is.”

Baekhyun bends down to pick the groceries, but suddenly Chanyeol is standing beside him, putting a hand on the bare skin of his back. “You’re only in a towel, go dress up first. You’re gonna scare him.”

The petite man seems to realize his state of undress and yelps. “Shit, sorry. I’ll get dressed, you go help him, Yeol! Sorry again, Soo!”

Chanyeol shakes his head with a scoff at the beta who scrambles inside, a small smile on his face. Kyungsoo doesn’t comment on the small nickname from the beta, as Baekhyun seems to be the type of person who does that to anyone—instead, he looks at the alpha who’s easily picking up the full grocery bags. He doesn’t realize that he’s staring until the alpha notices him and raises an eyebrow.

“Come in.”

“Ah, yeah, thank you.”

The room is, as Baekhyun said, mostly bare. The only splash of color in the room comes from the few dark blue sofas around the small coffee table. Most furniture look like the kind that is built in and comes with the apartment, such as nude colored dining table and chairs, a few standing lamps here and there, a generic abstract painting beside a door, some cupboards. It doesn’t really look lived in, which he guesses is understandable seeing as they’re only here for a few weeks, at most. He puts his shoes tidily near the door, bowing as he walks down the hallway from the front door, following the alpha silently.

Chanyeol takes a turn, peeking over his shoulder to make sure the omega is still following him, and they reach a small open space kitchen. He puts the groceries on the counter at the kitchen and turns towards him. “Are you going to use these here?”

Somehow, it’s only now that Kyungsoo realizes that Chanyeol is half-naked, his abs and defined chest on display, glimmering slightly with sweat. Kyungsoo flushes, looking away at the rest of the kitchen. “Um, yeah. I was planning to, like, I’m not sure what I’m going to do here, so I was. I thought I could make you lunch? Well, you two, now, but yeah. It’s fine if you’ve already eaten though, I’m—“

“That’s cool,” Chanyeol shrugs as he starts taking out the stuffs Kyungsoo bought from the supermarket, putting them gently on the counter. “We were planning to go out to eat anyway, so you’re kind of saving our asses here.”

He probably shouldn’t, but Kyungsoo can’t stop the question from coming out of his mouth. “You, um, you live together?”

Chanyeol pauses and lifts his head, giving him a look. It’s not a weird look, thank God, more deliberating. “Yeah. Baekhyun can’t find a proper housing, and this apartment my father gave me is big enough for two people anyway.”

“Oh,” he replies, not sure what to say. It makes sense, and he doesn’t even know why he asks about it in the first place, seeing as Baekhyun and Chanyeol are, supposedly, best friends, but...

“Chanyeol, honestly, why are you still standing naked in the kitchen?”

They both turn, slightly startled. Baekhyun is fully dressed now, a huge t-shirt with a pair of loose pants and slippers. His hair looks slightly wet, and he looks… well, cute. A pair of glasses is perched on his small nose, and for some weird reasons Kyungsoo feels a tinge of envy appearing in his chest. _Do Kyungsoo, stop being weird._ He shakes his head slightly before he gives the beta a small smile, which Baekhyun replies with a beam. It makes Kyungsoo feel guilty that he even has any kind of negative feeling towards the beta. Baekhyun is always friendly and cheerful, making sure to treat Kyungsoo, who is a stranger to him, very kindly. “I’m sorry again for intruding, Baekhyun,” he says, bowing down slightly.

Baekhyun pouts, waving a hand at his apology. “Hey, I told you it’s unnecessary. If anything, I should be the one apologizing.” His eyes fall on the groceries, his face lighting up again. “Are those fresh ingredients? Are you going to cook us fresh food?”

At least, his enthusiasm is contagious. Kyungsoo feels himself smiling at Baekhyun’s beam. “If you want me to.”

“Of course I want you to! You’re doing us a huge favor here. All Chanyeol can cook is some instant food, and while I can live off it during our uni years, it’s getting old.”

Chanyeol, who has been putting out most of the groceries, looks up to send the beta a glare. “At least I don’t burn water,” he mocks, making Baekhyun scrunches his nose and sulks.

“I did it one time! It was an accident!”

They stick their tongue out at each other, and the omega laughs. “Maybe you can help me cooking and I can give you some easy tips so you can start learning to cook for yourself later?”

The beta turns away from the alpha, putting on a comical expression of gratitude. Despite his playfulness though, Kyungsoo can see his sincerity. “That’s the best thing I’ve heard in my whole life. Can I keep you instead of this giant? Chanyeol, get out of the kitchen, it’s Baek-Soo time. Also cover up your obscene body, no one wants to see it.”

The red-haired alpha rolls his eyes and smacks the back of Baekhyun’s head, ignoring the beta’s whine. He walks off, and Kyungsoo tries not to think of the fact that he’s going to the room where Baekhyun walks out of.

Surprisingly enough, it’s easy to do so. With Baekhyun with him at the kitchen, the simple lunch preparation turns fun and cheerful, full of laughter and jokes. The beta really is easy-going and funny, making simple remarks here and there that leave Kyungsoo in stitches. Sometimes Chanyeol comes around (with a shirt on now) to see how they’re doing, but mostly Baekyhun would just shoo him, and the alpha always leaves with a roll of eyes, a smile on his face. It’s fun, being there, the uncomfortableness surrounding them easily forgotten as Baekhyun exaggerates his reaction to Kyungsoo’s cooking, cheering loudly when he manages to pull a smile out of him. Despite the fact that they barely know each other, the hour they spend to cook together at that kitchen feels familiar, like Baekhyun is an old friend.

They end up sitting around the kitchen counter, Baekhyun standing beside him as he gives Kyungsoo the chair, and Chanyeol sitting across them with raised eyebrows.

“No offense to you, Kyungsoo, but I’m still worried I might get poisoned if I ate this.”

Baekhyun scowls. Instead of threatening, he simply looks adorable. Kyungsoo bites his smile in. “Fine, don’t eat then. Go away and starve, you’re dead to me.”

“It really is good, I tasted it and I’m fine.” As Baekhyun beams proudly at the omega’s statement, Kyungsoo can’t help but to add teasingly, “Mostly.”

Baekhyun gasps loudly, pressing a hand against his chest. “You too, Kyungsoo?”

All of them laugh at that, until the alpha finally picks up his spoon and puts it into the bowl of kimchi soup they made, slurring it around. He takes a spoonful and eyes them, before he sighs loudly, expression joking. “Here goes nothing, then.”

Chanyeol makes a gesture of praying, and Kyungsoo laughs when Baekhyun hits his shoulder with a spatula. The alpha eats it, chewing slowly for a bit longer than normal. Baekhyun bites at his lip when the red haired man still doesn’t say anything after a few seconds. “If it’s really bad you don’t have to eat it,” he tells him with a pout.

The alpha grins at that. “It’s really good. I don’t know what magic Kyungsoo did, but good job.”

Baekhyun scowls, but there’s a hint of pride in his expression. He still hits Chanyeol again with his spatula though. “You know, I should have poisoned you for real, you’re mean to me.”

“I said it’s good!”

The beta sticks his tongue out. “You’re still annoying.”

Kyungsoo chuckles softly at their banter. They look so comfortable with each other. There’s a version of them that appear in the interaction just between the two. He expects it from Chanyeol—it’s obvious that he has a side of him that he doesn’t let just anyone see, and only a few people he likes and trusts can see it. Baekhyun obviously fits that category. But as he sees Baekhyun act differently with Chanyeol, it puzzles Kyungsoo a little bit. The differences are subtle; the way Baekhyun seems more sincere; how he pushes at Chanyeol’s button with a trust he shows so openly in his face; even the softer way Baekhyun beams at the alpha. It’s not easily seen, but it’s there

And it happens the whole time they have lunch. Oftentimes, it’s Baekhyun who pulls him into the conversation, telling him stories upon stories about him and Chanyeol between asking the omega a lot of things about himself without really pushing. Small things like his hobbies (cooking and reading, unsurprisingly, even though Baekhyun’s reaction makes him seem more interesting than he actually is), his age (twenty seven, just a little bit younger than the two of them), his siblings (a brother, although he shut down that conversation pretty quickly—the beta simply lets him and changes the topic), and a few others. He makes sure the conversation keep flowing, chewing his food quickly as he talks, and getting a few scolding from the alpha in front of them every time he speaks with his mouth too full.

On the other hand, the alpha eats quietly sans for a few comments here and there and his banter with his best friend. He watches Baekhyun talking with a small smile sometimes, before he seems to snap out of it and puts back his blank look, looking down at his food. But even as he’s quiet, he keeps moving silently, getting glasses and drink out for them, pulling Baekhyun’s bowl of soup further from the corner of the counter when the beta accidentally elbows it without realizing, adding more cola to Baekhyun’s glass when it’s empty—small gestures Kyungsoo wouldn’t have ever expected from Chanyeol. One moment, Chanyeol actually lifts his hand to wipe at the soup stain near Baekhyun’s lip, although he catches himself before he actually does. He sends a glance at Kyungsoo, and opts to throw a piece of tissue to the beta instead with a small, “You’re such a messy eater.” It’s fascinating to see, but at the same time, Kyungsoo isn’t sure what to think of it.

Or maybe he does.

“Ah, I’m really full,” Baekhyun huffs, satisfaction apparent on his face.

Kyungsoo smiles. “There’s still half a pot of soup left, you can put it in the fridge so you can eat it another time.”

“You’re honestly our savior, have I told you that? We’re never going to survive without you.”

Chanyeol makes a face at that. “We survived just fine when we live together in London.”

“I just never told you how much I was suffering,” the beta tells him slowly, as if he’s talking to a pet. The alpha bares his teeth playfully, faking anger.

“You lived together in London too?”

Kyungsoo is surprised to hear his own voice, not at all expecting for the question to come out. The alpha looks alarmed, but Baekhyun easily turns towards him and grins at the question, not noticing the awkward tone in Kyungsoo’s question. “Yeah! I think it was… during our third year in uni? I was kicked out of my apartment because my ex is an asshole—long story, don’t ask—so I just packed up and went to Chanyeol’s apartment. Of course he’s rich enough to live in a two bed apartment—you know, I should have been suspicious of you by then, honestly—so he just let me live with him momentarily. It turns out we did a good job being flat mates, so I stopped trying to look for another place to live in after he told me to move in for good.”

He doesn’t expect the details, even though Baekhyun has spent the whole time they have together talking about the anecdotes in his life with the slightest of prompt. Kyungsoo appreciates the trust, and he nods at the long answer. “That’s nice. I’m sorry about your ex though.”

Baekhyun makes a ‘tch’ sound, squinting an eye to make a nonchalant expression. “Nah, it would have never worked anyway. He’s an alpha who’s obsessed with being ‘properly mated’, I should have run the other way from the start.”

_An alpha?_ Kyungsoo widens his eyes at that, but bites down his comment. Strangely, Baekhyun seems to realize what he has just said, because his eyes widen and he snaps his mouth shut. In front of them, Chanyeol looks down to his empty bowl, not making eye-contact. There’s a shift in the air.

Unexpectedly, a phone rings from another room.

Baekhyun jumps up from his seat. “That’s my phone. Sorry.”

He runs off towards the sound, leaving the two of them in awkward silence. Kyungsoo and Chanyeol look at their own plate for a few more seconds, before the alpha suddenly moves to clean up, gathering the empty bowls and glasses. Kyungsoo stands up too, his manner rising to the surface. “Ah, I’ll do it.”

“No, it’s fine, you’re our guest. You can sit down,” the alpha tells him.

Hearing no room for rejection in his tone, Kyungsoo sits back down, watching Chanyeol move easily around the corner towards the sink. A lot of alpha is clueless about such mundane everyday tasks, probably not used to being told to do any kind of housekeeping, but it’s clearly not the case with Chanyeol. He seems at ease, not saying a word as he starts washing them by hands. The voice of running water fills the silence, along with occasional squeaking from when the dishes are clean.

It doesn’t calm the questions in Kyungsoo’s head, though. And while he’s still slightly uncomfortable with being left alone to interact with an alpha, especially to start a conversation first, he pushes himself to call out, “Chanyeol?”

As if waiting for it, Chanyeol’s back tenses. “Yeah?”

_Do you like Baekhyun?_

He startles at his own thought, because he has wanted to at least ask about an alpha being the beta’s boyfriend, but the more he thinks about it, the more it’s the only thing he can think of. Chanyeol has acted so differently, and in spite of knowing that the alpha does act differently with people he’s familiar with, it seems unlikely that he’s that gentle towards too many people. Or at least as gentle as he does to Baekhyun. They banter a lot, sure, and they hit and kick at each other a lot like two little boys, but there’s a subtle fondness in each touch Chanyeol gives Baekhyun, and Kyungsoo thinks he sees something deeper in it.

_You love him, don’t you?_

He shakes his head, trying to snap out of it. It’s not the right time. “Was the food good?”

The alpha’s shoulders visibly slump down in relief, and he glances over his own shoulder towards Kyungsoo. “Yeah, it’s wonderful. Thanks for coming, really.”

“It’s no problem at all. I still feel bad for intruding to your house.”

The sound of running water stops, and Chanyeol turns. There’s something that flashes across his face, but before Kyungsoo can decipher it, it’s already gone and replaced by a polite smile. “It’s just a house,” he shrugs and steps away to dry his hands, oblivious to the way Kyungsoo stares at his back, a million thoughts in his head.

* * *

Jongin opens the door of the freezer, sighing happily at the cool air blasting at his face and picking two cans of cold coffee. Afterwards he walks the aisle of other foods, picking up a few snacks in his hands. He’s standing in front of a row of fresh food when the entrance of the store makes a ding sound, looking towards the front of the building. He doesn’t expect it when his eyes catch a familiar figure standing in front of the convenience store, petite and slender from the back. Unconsciously, his lips pulled into a smirk. He takes two packets of kimbap, immediately going towards the cashier to pay.

As he finishes paying, the alpha walks towards the person slowly, smiling at the way the omega shields his face from the sun. “Kyungsoo-ssi?”

Kyungsoo jumps a little, his endearing wide eyes blinking, and his shocked expression melts into recognition as he sees him. “Oh, hello.”

“Hey,” he says dumbly.

The shorter man seems unsure about what to say, and Jongin doesn’t know exactly why he even approached him in the first place. It’s like there’s something pulling him, encouraging him to interact with the omega. He can’t quite pinpoint yet if he’s okay with the instinct or not, but right now, standing in front of Kyungsoo, he can’t help but lightening up anyway. He tries to break the silence.

“Are you—“

“What is—“

They both pause, and Kyungsoo bites his bottom lip, bowing down slightly. “I’m sorry, you can go first.”

Jongin shakes his head, gesturing towards the smaller man. “Nah, I wasn’t saying anything important. What did you want to say?”

“Um, I was just wondering what brought you to this side of the town.”

The alpha looks around. It’s a nice set of neighborhood, but it’s almost an hour away from the business of the bustling city by car. The houses are mostly occupied by families with little kids, and it shows with the many parks he passes in his car on the drive there. It’s rare that a young man like him, with his suit and all, is around, so he gets why Kyungsoo asks him that question. He shrugs. “I was actually doing some errands for the company, but I’m all done and feeling a bit hungry, so I decided to buy some… well, stuffs.” He shakes the plastic bag in his hand. Kyungsoo makes an ‘ah’ sound, nodding slightly. “What about you?”

“I just met up with a friend and I’m waiting for my ride here. His house is just around the corner,” he says, gesturing towards a direction behind them.

“Ah, I see.”

They’re quiet again, Jongin opening the can of cold coffee without a word and Kyungsoo playing with the cuff of his shirt. The alpha offers his food, which the omega shakes his head at. It’s comfortable, the silence between them, and Jongin can’t help but be confused again. He doesn’t have that many omega friends, but he doubts he can get into this kind of… complacent mood with one. Frankly, he doesn’t get into this kind of mood with that many people. He’s quiet by nature, not a fan of talking too much, only turning into a chatterbox around people he’s comfortable with. For Kyungsoo to bring up both the quiet and teasing sides of him is both weird and impressive.

This time, it’s Kyungsoo who speaks up first. “Um, can I ask a question?” At Jongin’s slight tilt of head, he flushes slightly, covering it with a small cough. “You can just ignore it if it’s too invasive.”

He smirks. “Shoot.”

“How old are you?” The words come quickly, almost like the omega is waiting for the permission, ready to say it before he loses his nerve. Jongin blinks at the question, and Kyungsoo’s cheeks redden even more. That’s… unexpected. Jongin doesn’t have a chance to answer or clarify, before the omega rushes his words again. “I mean, from what I heard, Chanyeol hasn’t really settled and worked in the company, while you are already doing errands for them. You don’t look that much older than Chanyeol, but you’re already working there, so I’m just… curious. I’m sorry.”

Jongin chuckles. “There’s no need to be sorry,” he tells with a slight teasing note, something Kyungsoo must have heard, because the omega, whether he realizes it or not, pouts a little. It’s alarmingly endearing. Jongin hums, ignoring his own head. “Well, Chanyeol decided to go to university for more years so he can get his Master degree, which is why he was in London for so long. He also spent some years there to intern on other companies, mostly for experience.” _And because he doesn't want to go back home,_ he doesn't add. “As for me, I took an express program to get a double degree for my Bachelor, and after I graduate from university I immediately worked for my uncle.”

Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything for a moment, staring at him with wide eyes and slightly open mouth. For some reasons, it makes Jongin feels embarrassed. “Surprise,” he says, spreading his arms slightly with a shy laughter.

“Wow,” the omega says instead, and Jongin can feel heat creeping up his cheeks. Seriously. “Just… you’re really impressive.”

The alpha clears his throat, smirking a little to cover his sudden shyness. It’s ridiculous, but he finds himself not minding it. “Thanks. And to answer your question, I’m twenty six.”

Like an open book, Kyungsoo’s face changes. “Oh.”

Jongin frowns a little at that. “What?” Kyungsoo shakes his head, but Jongin clicks his tongue. “You have that face. What’s wrong? How old are you?”

“Uh,” the omega says, an amused expression coloring his face now. It’s a new look, and he finds himself entranced. “I’m twenty seven.”

That makes him pause. “No way,” Jongin says with a blank tone, making the omega laugh softly. He laughs along with him, in total disbelief. “You’re having me on. Really? End of year birthday?”

Kyungsoo laughs louder, his lips turning into a heart-shaped smile and the side of his eyes crinkling. He shakes his head. “January birthday, actually.”

“No way!” He responds loudly, reveling in another burst of laughter the older lets out. “My birthday’s on January too. That’s… well, I’m officially shocked.”

The omega shakes his head, and now that he knows Kyungsoo’s age, he’s suddenly looking for signs of it. While he looks fair and young, petite in figure like most omegas are, Jongin is slowly noticing an air of maturity around him. He’s noticed it before, but at first he’s always thought it to be caused by the fact that he’s an heir to his family, bearing a responsibility on his shoulders. This omega really is older than him, wow. It must show on his face, because Kyungsoo makes a confused face, a frown between his eyebrows while he still has a smile on. “Do I look that much younger?”

“You look twenty at most,” the alpha replies. Kyungsoo scoffs, and Jongin continues. “I’m serious. If I met you at a club I would seriously reconsider hitting on you because you might be illegal, that’s how young you look.”

Apparently, his brain to mouth filter is not working properly. Kyungsoo blinks, the smile gone from his face, and Jongin wants to feel some kind of shame or regret, but he just stares back at the omega’s eyes. It’s how it is. After a few moments pass, the smaller man simply chuckles, a stain of red coming back to on his fair skin. “You really can’t look for another example?”

“One where it doesn’t involve the scenario of me hitting on you? Probably not.” Kyungsoo shakes his head again, with a slight pull upwards at the side of his lips. And there it is, they’re flirting again. Or, actually, _Jongin_ is. Really obviously, too. It surprises him that the omega doesn’t say anything against it, looking a lot more comfortable as he looks back at him. It’s probably because he finds out that Jongin is younger than him, or because Jongin doesn’t show any sign of disrespect, but whatever the reasons, he is pleased.

Jongin really shouldn’t be doing this. Whatever his feeling is, it’s probably inappropriate for him to make some kind of action about it. Kyungsoo is, despite what he knows, Chanyeol’s omega.

He knows that, but it doesn’t stop him from asking, “Hey, let’s have lunch together.”

That seems to make the omega realize something, as his expression quickly changes into regret. “Ah, I’m actually going to have lunch with someone in a bit.”

There’s a tug in his chest. “With Chanyeol?”

“Yeah,” the omega replies softly. The blush is back, but now it hits Jongin’s gut with bitterness more than the usual endearment.

Jongin ignores it. “Have fun, then.”

“Thank you. Are you going back now?”

“Getting rid of me so quickly?” He chuckles at the noise of protest the omega makes. “I’m joking. But nah, my lunch hour is coming soon so I have some time, might as well wait around with you.”

Kyungsoo frowns a little. “Ah, you really don’t have to.”

Jongin gives him a look. “I know,” he says, taking out a package of jelly from his plastic bag. The omega doesn’t say anything, but Jongin can feel the stare he gives him. He doesn’t acknowledge it, tilting the jelly towards his mouth and chewing silently. As he feels the shorter man looking away, he clears his throat, talking slowly with his mouth slightly filled. “So is your ride Chanyeol then?”

Kyungsoo shakes his head. “We’re meeting up at the restaurant, so my ride’s actually my chauffer. Chanyeol told me that he’s going to give Baekhyun a ride home first, since they were going out to buy some furniture.”

_Baekhyun, huh._ “I see,” he replies instead.

Out of nowhere, Kyungsoo says, “They’re really close.”

If Jongin is a little clumsier, he probably would have choked at the sugary food in his mouth. As it is, he just feels his throat slightly tightening, and his whole body freezes up a little. He swallows, sending a glance at the omega, who looks indifferent. “I guess,” he replies slowly.

Kyungsoo turns towards him, facing him just a tad, a small smile on his face. He doesn’t look like he might ask something Jongin might not be able to answer, but his heart beats a little faster nonetheless. “I mean, it’s to be expected, isn’t it? They’ve been with each other for years. Baekhyun is definitely… he definitely means a lot to Chanyeol, don’t you think?”

The wind blows a touch harder, causing leaves to fall from the trees surrounding them. Kyungsoo keeps his gaze neutral, his expression not betraying the calmness of the way he talks, but somehow, it makes Jongin feels even more nervous. There’s… there’s something in the way he says it, and before the alpha can crack what it means, a car stops in front of them.

The omega breaks their eye-contact. “My ride is here,” he states, voice softer.

Jongin, at loss for words, simply nods. “Safe ride. And have a good lunch.”

Kyungsoo’s lips twitch, and he gestures towards the plastic bag in his grip. “You, too.”

He watches as the omega walks towards his car and gets in, standing still as the car drives away. His head feels full, and after a few minutes he finally decides. He gets to his car and immediately turns to his navigation, pressing a few buttons. As it shows the address he wants, he presses the word ‘Yes’ and drives off.

* * *

Chanyeol tries not to glare at his food, but it’s hard. He knows he probably looks ridiculous, stabbing at his food repeatedly while chomping on it in his mouth. He can’t help it, though. As he remembers it again, he gets even more irritated, clinking his knife against the plate with too much force. He’s probably becoming the center of attention from the other patrons of the restaurant, but he can’t bring himself to care.

“I’m sorry.”

The soft voice causes him to snap his head up. Across the table, Kyungsoo looks at him with concern. There’s even a hint of scare there, and it makes the alpha feels a little guilty. He chews slower and swallows his food before he puts down his utensils and tries to look as sincere as he can. “Don’t worry, it’s not your fault,” he tells the omega.

Kyungsoo still looks concerned, and oh God, that’s guilt in his expression. Chanyeol feels like an asshole. “Still, I could have checked with you or something. It must be uncomfortable for you—”

“It’s not your fault, Kyungsoo,” he cuts.

And it’s really not. He’s not angry at all towards Kyungsoo. If anything, he calms him down a little, because now he doesn’t want to scare the omega away. It’s unfair to him, and it takes a while for Chanyeol to control himself, but he takes a deep breath and calmly picks up his knife and fork again, cutting his food more gently. He offers a small grin at the omega—he hopes it doesn’t look too much like a grimace—which Kyungsoo replies with a small smile.

Honestly, it’s his aunt’s fault. He and Baekhyun were going to some department store, finally picking up furniture for their apartment. Chanyeol has said it’s a waste of money (which Baekhyun scoffs at) since they’re not even going to live there permanently, but the beta whines about how he can’t stand the bare apartment, claiming it makes him feel like he’s living in a hospital. Chanyeol rolled his eyes at the exaggeration, but he allowed himself be pulled along the store anyway, offering short commentaries at the things Baekhyun showed him and letting he shorter man have his fun with a smile.

His aunt suddenly called him in the middle of it, though, telling him that there’s a family meeting, and that it’s important that he comes alone. He frowned at that, but Baekhyun shrugged and told him to go anyway. When Kyungsoo texted him, asking for confirmation about the lunch they’re apparently going to have, Chanyeol groans at the possibility of having that kind of family meeting, this time without the beta. Baekhyun laughed and told him to have fun, but not without taking Chanyeol’s credit card to pay for the furniture they bought and a deep kiss right at the door before he left.

As it turns out, there’s no family meeting. When he reaches the restaurant, he only finds Kyungsoo sitting at the table they reserved, and he knows it’s some kind of trick his aunt is trying to pull. That’s when the rudeness and annoyance started. When Kyungsoo tilts his head in confusion at the alpha’s question about his family’s whereabouts, Chanyeol doesn’t even try to mask it. He simply told Kyungsoo that his aunt said it’s going to be a family meeting, ignoring Kyungsoo’s apologies and mortified expression, and doesn’t say a word to the omega for the whole lunch.

The alpha sighs. The omega looks terrified, and Chanyeol knows he’s acting like a kid. He shakes his head, straightening himself up. “How was the meeting with your friend?”

Kyungsoo looks up from his food, swallowing his food slowly. The movement looks cautious, and Chanyeol feels the guilt inside him intensifies. “Um, it was fine. He’s an old friend and we haven’t met each other for a while, so we mostly just talked. He’s, uh, he just had a baby.”

“Oh,” Chanyeol says. It sounds hollow, and he kicks at himself _. Come on, you should at least try._ “That’s… good for him.”

Bless the omega, he looks satisfied enough at the lackluster response and horrifyingly impolite manner Chanyeol has. “Yeah. He looks happy and healthy, so it was great.”

The alpha smiles back as he hums out his agreement. He’s never had any of his friends having a baby, probably more because his group of friends in university is the kinds who are too ambitious to build a family at their age, and the friends he had in Seoul, who are more likely to do so, he no longer contacts. It seems amazing, though, and Kyungsoo looks genuinely content, and it’s infectious, in a way. He can feel himself calming down, trying to ignore the events that lead him here. It’s just a lunch between friends. Kyungsoo is not an enemy, and he shouldn’t direct his anger towards him.

A few minutes pass with only a few clinks and queries about the food, and the atmosphere melts into at least a comfortable silence.

Until Kyungsoo makes a noise like he just realizes something, and says, “Ah, I met your cousin before I went here. Jongin?”

Chanyeol tenses. “Oh?”

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo smiles. It’s unexpectedly a soft smile, like he genuinely likes Jongin, and Chanyeol is surprised to see it. “He’s really nice.”

Chanyeol doesn’t know how to respond to that, mostly because he hasn’t know this nice version of his cousin for years, but the omega seems excited to tell him, so he doesn’t have the heart to shut it down. In the end, he opts to just say, “I’m sure he is.”

Despite his effort though, there must be something in his tone, because there’s a startled look on the omega’s expression. Kyungsoo opens his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, only to close it again. He seems thoughtful, and Chanyeol picks at his drink and gulps half of it. Finally, the omega breaks the awkward silence with a change of topic, asking softly, “Um, how’s Baekhyun?”

Unconsciously, Chanyeol’s lips curve into a smile. “I thought you two text each other all the time. You’re all he’s been talking about since our lunch last week.”

“He keeps asking me to come over,” Kyungsoo chuckles.

“You should,” Chanyeol tells him with a small grin. “He’s like a puppy, he needs someone to play with all the time, and I’ve been busy at the company so he’s been really bored.”

There’s a pause, and Kyungsoo looks at him carefully. “It might not be appropriate for me to visit an alpha’s house all the time,” he says slowly.

The alpha makes a face at that. Right. “I probably won’t even be there with you two, so technically you’re just going to be with a beta in a beta’s house,” he shrugs. “But if it makes you uncomfortable, you can hang out somewhere else. Baekhyun just needs a friend.”

Baekhyun has complained his ears off during the past week. Initially he can entertain himself with some movies and walking around the neighborhood by himself every time Chanyeol has to go to his father’s company to take care of some things, only whining when the alpha gets home, which Chanyeol lets him do with a cuddle on the sofa. But after Kyungsoo visited their apartment, it’s like he finally realized how much he misses having other people around him sometimes, and he’s starting to grumble a lot more. Which Chanyeol doesn't mind about, he's used to Baekhyun talking his ears off, but he feels bad for the beta. While Baekhyun is mostly a homebody, and he enjoys his gaming consoles more than going out, Baekhyun loves spending some quality time with a friend or two. For Chanyeol to leave him all by himself in a foreign environment makes him feel guilty, especially knowing that he’s not going to be here if not because of Chanyeol. That’s why he thinks trying to make Kyungsoo accompany him is a small thing he can do.

Chanyeol gets too deep in his head, and it’s Kyungsoo’s voice that pull him back. “You really do care for him, don’t you, Chanyeol?”

That startles him. He looks across the table into Kyungsoo’s face, and he thinks there’s a knowing look in it. Chanyeol clears his throat. “I—of course. He’s, um, he’s my best friend.”

“For years,” the omega adds.

“Yeah.”

The younger man nods, chewing at his bottom lip. His silence seems contemplative, and Chanyeol braces himself for what’s coming. “I don’t mean to pry, but,” the omega pauses, a frown indicating that he’s in deep thought, but he makes himself continue. “About... Baekhyun’s ex?”

There it is. Somehow, Chanyeol knows this conversation is going to come up. Since Kyungsoo tenses at the mention of an alpha being the beta’s boyfriend, he expects the question to be asked eventually. He’s not sure how he feels with talking about it without Baekhyun, but he hums in acknowledgment. “What about him?”

“Nothing,” the omega replies hurriedly. There must be some kind of disapproval in his own expression, because Kyungsoo gives him a small shrug. “I just think it’s unfortunate that Baekhyun had to go through something like that. He deserves better.”

Well. This, he can do. “He does,” Chanyeol simply answers. It’s the truth. “That person is an asshole.” Another truth.

“Maybe you should, um.” Kyungsoo cuts himself off, his face flushing like he didn’t mean for it to come out. The alpha isn’t sure if he should encourage him to continue or not, so he just keeps his expression carefully neutral. That seems to push Kyungsoo to continue, anyway. “Like, maybe you can introduce him with someone you think could be worthy of him. I mean, you know him best. Maybe you can help him find someone good enough.”

Someone good enough. Chanyeol feels a pinch in his chest at the words. He should probably laugh at Kyungsoo’s suggestion, because no matter how sincere it might be, it’s so far from reality—but as he sits there, watching Kyungsoo watching him back, all he can think about is one question.

_Is_ he _good enough?_

“Maybe,” he simply answers, gulping down his drink.

The short answer seems to discourage Kyungsoo from asking him more questions, and he lets the conversation drops. The rest of the lunch is spent with mostly silence, a few small talks here and there. As they’re finishing their dessert (which the alpha tells the omega to get, mostly to clear his own conscience with being rude for most of the time they’re spending there), Chanyeol’s phone vibrates, and he excuses himself to open his phone.

He doesn’t expect to see what’s on it. His eyes widen at the picture on his phone, and he immediately looks around. The alpha doesn’t see what he expected, even with his good eyesight, and somehow, it worries him even more.

“Is everything alright?”

Chanyeol turns quickly towards Kyungsoo. “Um, yeah. Are you done with your food?” His fingers move on his phone, typing quickly.

The omega raises an eyebrow. “I… guess. Are you sure you’re alright?”

He doesn’t answer—instead, calls for a waiter, putting more than enough money to cover their lunch without waiting for anyone to bring them their bills. “We should go now.”

“Oh, okay.” He still looks at the alpha weirdly, but he puts down his utensils and stands up slightly, trying to take out his phone out of his pocket. “I should call my driver—“

“There’s no need, I’ll drive you,” Chanyeol cuts him off. He knows he’s being rude, again, but as he looks around again he can feel a slight dread coming up his chest along with the impatience. “Let’s go.”

He’s probably scaring the omega, but Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything as he picks up his bag and jacket from the other chair. Chanyeol doesn’t say a word, simply putting his hand behind the omega’s back to guide him hurriedly towards his car. It might give people more wrong materials, but he’s more worried about staying there a minute longer. Kyungsoo lets the alpha open the door for him, sitting quietly as the taller man goes around the car and get into the driver seat. When they’re both seated in the car, he finally opens his mouth. “Chanyeol? What’s wrong?”

Kyungsoo looks at him with wide eyes full of caution; Chanyeol simply takes out his phone and clicks on the link he just opened, passing his phone silently to the younger.

The omega immediately pales. Chanyeol sighs. “Yeah,” he says, and starts the car.

* * *

Baekhyun carefully steps down from the chair he’s standing on, skipping towards the center of the living room. He squints slightly and puts his hands on his hips, looking at the curtain he just puts up. His neck is in a lot of pain for looking up and slightly stretching up for at least twenty minutes, curse his short height, but he’s got the job done, and the bright blue fabric looks good in the room. Beside the huge window he just covered, there’s a white cupboard with some designs on it. It’s a little lopsided, but he’s sure Chanyeol can fix it. For now, he’s satisfied with the burst of color in the room, and he grins proudly. The beta takes his phone out, getting ready to take a picture to send to Chanyeol.

And there’s a doorbell.

He jumps, not expecting a guest at all. He’s not sure how many people even know their apartment, and he frowns in confusion. Maybe someone looking for Chanyeol? He sends another glance towards the job he’s done to give himself a last pat on the back, actually moving his hand to do just that as he walks towards the front door. He tiptoes, trying to see through the peephole to know who just interrupts him.

His frown deepens. Baekhyun clicks the door open and pulls it towards him, staring at the tall figure in front of him. “Jongin?”

Jongin raises his chin slightly in greeting, a small smirk on his face. “Hey.”

“This was unexpected,” the shorter man laughs, albeit still being confused. He tilts his head. “If you want to meet Chanyeol, he’s—“

“With Kyungsoo, I know,” the alpha cuts. Baekhyun blinks at him, and Jongin continues, unexpectedly, “I want to talk to you.”

Baekhyun raises an eyebrow. That doesn’t sound suspicious at all. He’s a little wary, but it’s not like he can just slam the door closed at the alpha, so he shrugs and opens the door wider, stepping aside to let him inside. “Okay… Well, come in. Sorry for the mess, I’m trying to put up some furniture.”

Jongin walks in, taking off his shoes. He looks around for a bit, looking out of place in his dark amicable suit and tall figure. He can become a nice addition of display for their bare room, Baekhyun thinks his head, laughing at himself. He’s locking the door and is walking slowly towards the alpha when he suddenly speaks up, not even turning towards him. “Not waiting for your alpha?”

He stops walking.

At the silence, Jongin turns around to face him, expression flat. Baekhyun gulps. “I don’t need an alpha just for that,” he says, forcing his tone to stay light and joking.

“Probably,” the younger allows, “but you have one.”

The beta shakes his head, still trying to keep himself calm. “I’m not sure I’m following.”

Now that Baekhyun looks at him with more attention, Jongin’s expression is carefully blank, more like. There’s an air of carefulness in his movement that the beta is only noticing now, as if the taller man is waiting to counter at his reaction, already thinking three steps aside. Baekhyun can feel his heart beating hard inside his chest, and there’s a slight tremble on his fingers. He clenches them into a fist. The alpha notices, and it’s probably what push him to say the words that Baekhyun expected but doesn’t want to hear.

“I heard you and Chanyeol at the restroom.”

* * *

“Thanks for the ride. And if you want to park for a bit, you can take my parking spot.”

Chanyeol nods, giving him a small smile as Kyungsoo gets out of the car. It pinches at his heart a little that the smile is more polite than friendly, but he tries to ignore it. “You’re welcome. I need to look at the map on my phone since I’ve never been around here before, so I’ll probably be there for a bit.” The alpha starts to roll the window up. “Give my greeting to your parents.”

Kyungsoo waves at him, brightening up his expression when he sees Chanyeol waves slightly back at him. As the car speeds up into the busy street, he lets out the huge sigh he’s been keeping inside for the whole lunch he had. It’s weird how much things can change in a small space of time. A week ago he was enjoying a nice lunch with Chanyeol and Baekhyun, and now the alpha refuses to even look at him properly during their car ride. Not to mention the fact that he might be in love with his best friend, and now with the news of their engagement (Kyungsoo still makes a face at that) is about to get out into the public, Kyungsoo feels like this isn’t going to be as simple and clean cut as him getting married with a stranger. The stranger has a life and his own worries, and Kyungsoo doesn’t have a place in that.

The omega sighs. He probably needs to get some rest first.

He starts to walk away from where he’s dropped off, and it’s only when he’s about to reach the elevator that he realizes he left his jacket at Chanyeol’s car. Kyungsoo almost curses, but he simply presses his fingers lightly against his temple. The jacket itself he can live without, but he remembers the small notebook he keeps in one of its pockets, filled with important information. He turns around, running slightly towards the parking spot he mentioned to Chanyeol earlier. He hopes the alpha hasn’t gone off yet.

Chanyeol’s dark blue car is still parked, and Kyungsoo lets out a breath in relief. He’s about to call out, but then he sees that the red-haired alpha is talking on the phone, so he opts to just walk towards him and maybe gestures that he’s just going to take the jacket. But as he gets closer, the expression on Chanyeol’s face makes him stop on his steps. He looks deep in thought. He’s not actually talking, seemingly waiting for the person he’s calling to pick up.

Kyungsoo knows he’s probably being nosy and rude, but he can’t stop himself from walking towards another car instead, hiding his body behind it. He can see and hear the alpha clearly from his position. He feels guilty, but before he can turn away instead, Chanyeol’s face clears a little. “Hey. Yeah, I just dropped Kyungsoo off at his father’s building. Are you okay?”

The omega pauses. The way he talks… it doesn’t sound like Chanyeol. His voice at the last sentence sounds softer and kinder, unlike the alpha he’s known for the short time. While Chanyeol has been friendly with him, he’s never really heard that kind of tone coming from the alpha.

“I’m not sure what happened either,” he continues after a while. His voice turns lower after that, and Kyungsoo, against his own judgement, tries to move closer to listen it. He’s kicking himself for what he’s doing, but he can’t help it—it feels important to know the reason Chanyeol sounds and looks that way.

When Kyungsoo manages to stand closer while still hiding himself from the alpha—which is surprising, to be honest, because with an alpha good hearing and eyesight, he’s expected to be caught by now, but maybe Chanyeol is too focused on his phone to notice his surrounding—the other person is talking some more, and Chanyeol exhales loudly. He sounds apologetic and regretful, his shoulders slumped. Kyungsoo bends forward slightly, trying to catch the alpha’s face, and when he does he hopes he hasn’t. He looks upset, his mouth turned into a frown, and his expression seems full of pain. Kyungsoo feels a twinge of pity in his heart.

“I’m so sorry, babe. I really didn’t know.”

That feels like cold water dropped on his head.

Babe? Chanyeol has a partner? Then why is he here, engaged to him? Kyungsoo’s brain whirled. It starts to go through his memories with the alpha, each and every single time he’s seen him, and the more he thinks about it, the more it makes sense. Chanyeol has hesitated when his cousin asked about the possibilities of a partner during their first meeting. It also gives a reason as to why Chanyeol had looked so upset when his father tried to give them his rings. If he remembers correctly, Chanyeol only accepts the engagement because of Baekhyun, and he had looked so angry when Baekhyun suggested—

Baekhyun. What about Baekhyun, then? Despite trying to convince himself that it’s still a possibility, Kyungsoo knows love when he sees one. Chanyeol is definitely in love, or on his way to be, with Baekhyun. Kyungsoo is sure of it. Then who is this partner?

Unless.

Before Kyungsoo even attempts to untangle the mess in his head, Chanyeol chuckles softly at whatever the person on the phone is saying, his expression turns into one of fond. Kyungsoo’s heart lurches. He knows that expression. He’s seen that expression before. That’s Chanyeol’s expression with…

“Alright. I love you, Baek. I’m coming home, yeah? It’s going to be okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> (❁´‿`❁)*✲ﾟ*


End file.
